Gas explosion kills five
Four children were killed in a gas explosion on Friday night on a farm near Dordabis while a woman had a miscarriage due to extensive injuries in the explosion. Ten others were severely injured.
Namibian police spokesperson Slogan Matheus said that the incident occurred on Farm Luhl Karib located about 20 to 25 km from Dorabis between 20:00 and 21:00. Matheus said 15 people, 11 minors and four adults from three different families sustained serious injuries after a house caught fire and burnt when the gas cylinder exploded.
He explained that the people from the surrounding area would usually flock to the house on the farm to watch television and on that night they were all in the living room when the gas cylinder exploded and the entire house caught fire.
There was apparently a gas cylinder used for cooking in the room adjacent to the living room and on the evening the family prepared a fire outside the house.
It is believed that the gas cylinder could have been leaking causing the explosion, but this is still under investigation.
All 15 occupants were rushed to the Dordabis State Clinic by the farm owner to where they were immediately transferred to Windhoek Central Hospital where four minors later died.
The deceased were identified as Berries Keises, 12, Aliandre Naugwases, 6, Anna Kheises, 5, and Henrico Plaaitjies, 11.
One of the women that was admitted to the Windhoek Central Hospital also had a miscarriage from the injuries following the explosion.
According to Matheus from the 11 remaining survivors, one male has been discharged from the hospital and is recovering at home while five are admitted in a critical condition.
One person has been admitted at Rhino Park Hospital and another to MediClinic, while one person was also admitted to the Roman Catholic Hospital with two people at the Katatura State Hospital all in a critical condition.
Owner of the farm, Sigi Hess, confirmed the incident to Namibian Sun but did not want to give any further information regarding the explosion. The police opened an inquest docket to make inquiries into the circumstances that lead to the explosion.
ELLANIE SMIT
Namibian police spokesperson Slogan Matheus said that the incident occurred on Farm Luhl Karib located about 20 to 25 km from Dorabis between 20:00 and 21:00. Matheus said 15 people, 11 minors and four adults from three different families sustained serious injuries after a house caught fire and burnt when the gas cylinder exploded.
He explained that the people from the surrounding area would usually flock to the house on the farm to watch television and on that night they were all in the living room when the gas cylinder exploded and the entire house caught fire.
There was apparently a gas cylinder used for cooking in the room adjacent to the living room and on the evening the family prepared a fire outside the house.
It is believed that the gas cylinder could have been leaking causing the explosion, but this is still under investigation.
All 15 occupants were rushed to the Dordabis State Clinic by the farm owner to where they were immediately transferred to Windhoek Central Hospital where four minors later died.
The deceased were identified as Berries Keises, 12, Aliandre Naugwases, 6, Anna Kheises, 5, and Henrico Plaaitjies, 11.
One of the women that was admitted to the Windhoek Central Hospital also had a miscarriage from the injuries following the explosion.
According to Matheus from the 11 remaining survivors, one male has been discharged from the hospital and is recovering at home while five are admitted in a critical condition.
One person has been admitted at Rhino Park Hospital and another to MediClinic, while one person was also admitted to the Roman Catholic Hospital with two people at the Katatura State Hospital all in a critical condition.
Owner of the farm, Sigi Hess, confirmed the incident to Namibian Sun but did not want to give any further information regarding the explosion. The police opened an inquest docket to make inquiries into the circumstances that lead to the explosion.
ELLANIE SMIT
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