Henties Spar destroyed by fire

A fire destroyed Henties Bay Spar supermarket on Saturday evening, causing about N$25 million in damage, while two people were injured.A police incident report issued by Erongo crime investigations coordinator Erastus Iikuyu on Sunday stated that the fire allegedly started around 20:15 at the take-away kitchen before spreading throughout the shop, razing everything inside.According to Iikuyu, the fire was finally extinguished on Sunday morning at around 03:30 by Swakopmund and Henties Bay fire fighters.“One firefighter sustained slight injuries, and another civilian, a young man, sustained injuries after he fell from the shop building while he was trying to assist the fire fighters,” Iikuyu said, adding that they were both taken to hospital.The cause of the fire was still unknown at the time of going to print.No good deedA report from LifeLink Emergency Rescue Services at Henties Bay, which also attended to the scene, said a “fully developed and rapidly moving fire” raged inside the shop.“A member of the public climbed onto a roof despite explicit instructions not to do so. As a result, he fell through the roof, sustaining serious injuries. He was rescued by a member of the Henties Bay fire brigade and treated and transported to hospital in Swakopmund,” it read.The fire was contained only to Spar, with the adjacent coffee shop being preserved, but heavily damaged, the report said. No other shops were damaged.Meanwhile, bystanders reported that suspects allegedly attempted to use the chaos as an opportunity to break into other shops, but were chased away by security services.‘We will stand again’The owner of the supermarket, Johan Aggenbach, said someone alerted him of smoke coming from the shop, and he and his son ran out to inspect the area. They live across the road from their business.“We entered the shop and saw the smoke and flames. I immediately grabbed a fire extinguisher and emptied it, but when I wanted to use the next extinguisher, the smoke was too much and my son said we need to get out of there,” he recalled.He added that investigations are underway, but cannot comment on what may have caused the fire.“It is an old building, so it’s difficult to say what could have gone wrong,” he said, praising the fire brigades and emergency services for their efforts in containing the blaze."Our building may have been burnt down, but we will continue our business, and with the support of our staff and community - even from far beyond our borders, we will stand up again," co-owner Dalene Aggenbach said.- adam@erongo.com.na

Henties Spar destroyed by fire

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Namibian Sun 2026-11-06

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Henties Spar destroyed by fire

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Namibian Sun 2026-11-06

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