ANOTHER BLAZE: A three-year-old boy died in the latest shack fire incident in Walvis Bay. Photo Nikanor Nangolo
ANOTHER BLAZE: A three-year-old boy died in the latest shack fire incident in Walvis Bay. Photo Nikanor Nangolo

Toddler dies as 23 Kuisebmond shacks burn

Nikanor Nangolo
Nikanor nangoloWALVIS BAY

The latest shack fire claimed the life of three-year-old Immanuel Iyaloo Abisalom on Friday in Kuisebmond, Walvis Bay. Deputy police commissioner Erastus Iikuyu released the identity of the victim and said the next of kin have been informed.

“It’s alleged that the fire started after a minor boy residing in one of the destroyed ghettos [shacks] left a cooking pot unattended on a stove.

He locked the ghetto and left,” Iikuyu said.

He also confirmed that 111 residents were left homeless after 23 shacks on four properties were destroyed in the blaze. The flames, that were fuelled by the presence of a breeze, spread rapidly.

Storing flammable items

Walvis Bay fire chief Dennis Basson advised parents to ensure the safety of children in emergency situations.

“The mother of the child who died apparently lost sight of her child during the commotion.”

He also called on residents to be extra careful when storing highly flammable items. “We found diesel tanks, gas bottles and piles of wood stored on some premises. These items are endangering the lives of residents and can cause considerable destruction when a fire erupts.”

He also pleaded with community members to respect and protect fire hydrants.

“It is everyone’s duty. This is our first source of a constant flow of water when fighting fires. People are vandalising and selling the taps for scrap and this makes it tough for us to fight fires.”

Immediate relief

According to Basson, the municipality could provide immediate relief for the victims of the fire.

“After the blaze, a front-end loader was brought in and the area was cleared of rubble. Twenty-two tents were also pitched for the displaced people. Mattresses, blankets, food parcels and tins of fish were handed over. Emergency water lines with taps were installed and skip bins were deployed for the disposal of rubble,” he said.

He added that the swift response of the fire brigade prevented more damage. “Our response time was excellent. A municipal official who was at the scene when the fire started reported the fire through the proper channels. There was a strong wind that fuelled the flames. We managed to contain and extinguish the blaze.”

He, however, condemned the presence of a large group of bystanders at the scene and called on the police to avail more manpower to protect firefighters during incidents.

“They are hampering us to do our work and something must be done about this. Many of these persons do not do anything constructive but merely observe what’s happening. They converge, stand around and prevent us to get to the fire. People are also aggressive against us.”

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Namibian Sun 2024-03-29

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Katima Mulilo: 19° | 36° Rundu: 19° | 29° Eenhana: 19° | 29° Oshakati: 21° | 30° Ruacana: 20° | 33° Tsumeb: 19° | 29° Otjiwarongo: 16° | 29° Omaruru: 19° | 32° Windhoek: 17° | 29° Gobabis: 17° | 30° Henties Bay: 16° | 20° Wind speed: 22km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 11:22, High tide: 05:24, Low Tide: 23:26, High tide: 17:46 Swakopmund: 16° | 17° Wind speed: 24km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 11:20, High tide: 05:22, Low Tide: 23:24, High tide: 17:44 Walvis Bay: 16° | 22° Wind speed: 27km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 11:20, High tide: 05:21, Low Tide: 23:24, High tide: 17:43 Rehoboth: 19° | 30° Mariental: 23° | 34° Keetmanshoop: 24° | 35° Aranos: 22° | 33° Lüderitz: 15° | 28° Ariamsvlei: 24° | 35° Oranjemund: 14° | 25° Luanda: 27° | 28° Gaborone: 20° | 32° Lubumbashi: 17° | 26° Mbabane: 16° | 21° Maseru: 11° | 29° Antananarivo: 16° | 27° Lilongwe: 17° | 27° Maputo: 20° | 28° Windhoek: 17° | 29° Cape Town: 17° | 28° Durban: 20° | 24° Johannesburg: 16° | 24° Dar es Salaam: 26° | 32° Lusaka: 20° | 30° Harare: 16° | 29° Currency: GBP to NAD 23.79 | EUR to NAD 20.36 | CNY to NAD 2.62 | USD to NAD 18.89 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.33 | EGP to NAD 0.39 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.74 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.77 | RUB to NAD 0.2 | INR to NAD 0.23 | USD to DZD 134.14 | USD to AOA 832.63 | USD to BWP 13.71 | USD to EGP 47.35 | USD to KES 130.98 | USD to NGN 1415.13 | USD to ZAR 18.89 | USD to ZMW 25.01 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 74536 Up +0.85% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1528.69 Up +0.84% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 12986.94 Up +0.04% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 27559.35 Down -2.36% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - 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