Five-metre plunge kills two construction workers

As the nation prepares to celebrate Workers’ Day, two builders died yesterday after a wall collapsed onto their scaffold and then plunged five metres to the ground. The incident happened at around 09:00 at an Outapi mall construction site owned by prominent businessman Tona Amadhila, who is the husband of Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila. According to eyewitnesses, the two workers, 45-year-old Ndategelela Suama David and 34-year-old Silas Lazarus Nafuka, were not wearing safety helmets at the time. “If they were wearing helmets I doubt we would be mourning the death of our colleagues today,” said one worker. Sergeant Hesekiel Hamalwa of the Omusati police said the workers died at the scene. “The two deceased smashed their heads against the concrete floor and died from head injuries,” he said. Three other builders were taken to the Outapi District Hospital with minor injuries. They were all discharged yesterday, according to Hamalwa. The bodies of the dead workers were transported to the Okahao police mortuary and an inquest docket has been opened by the Omusati police. They were all employed by Tona Trade Holding cc. OUTAPI MERJA IILEKA