Tour bus crash claims one
A Spanish tourist was killed in an accident this weekend on the gravel road east of Maroelaboom, and 29 others, including one South African driver and two Zimbabweans, were injured in the accident.
The spokesperson of the Namibian police in the Otjozondjupa Region, Warrant Officer Maureen Mbeha said the 31-year-old tourist from Spain died instantly after a bus crashed into a bakkie on the Tsumkwe gravel road on Saturday.
Mbeha said the two vehicles, both transporting tourists, were following each other from the direction of Grootfontein to Tsumkwe.
The accident occurred approximately 9 kilometres east of Maroelaboom at about 11:40.
It is alleged that the bakkie travelling in front of the bus slowed down to view a giraffe. According to Mbeha as the bus was about to overtake, the bakkie turned right resulting in the accident.
The bus rolled several times after it collided with the bakkie.
“The tourist bus from South Africa allegedly drove into a moving double cab which had four tourists from France.”
The bus had 26 occupants, including the deceased woman.
Mbeha said these included 23 tourists from Spain, two Zimbabweans and a 44-year-old driver from South Africa.
The 25 remaining tourists in the bus survived the accident with slight to serious injuries.
The French tourists in the bakkie – two men and two women – also survived with slight injuries.
The injured from both vehicles were taken to the Grootfontein State Hospital and were flown to Windhoek for further medical attention.
This is the third accident in Namibia involving tourists the past two weeks. Last week Sunday a well-known Israeli photographer was killed and his wife injured in an accident in the north.
They were travelling with two other Israeli nationals through the country on a photography trip.
The accident occurred on the Oshikuku/Oshakati main road at the Etayi junction.
The driver of the Ford Ranger allegedly tried to avoid hitting a donkey in the road and the car overturned.
Amos Gil, 72, was killed in the accident, while his wife Irit, 66, and the other two Israeli nationals, Joseph Shakaka, 73, and Carmela Heffer, 32 were injured.
The week before that an Italian tourist was killed in an accident and three other Italians injured.
The accident occurred on the Helmeringhausen road.
It is alleged that four Italian women were traveling in a Toyota Hilux when the driver, 46, lost control of the vehicle and it overturned. Ingrid Simona Ungaro, 37, died at the scene.
The other women sustained serious to slight injuries.
ELLANIE SMIT
The spokesperson of the Namibian police in the Otjozondjupa Region, Warrant Officer Maureen Mbeha said the 31-year-old tourist from Spain died instantly after a bus crashed into a bakkie on the Tsumkwe gravel road on Saturday.
Mbeha said the two vehicles, both transporting tourists, were following each other from the direction of Grootfontein to Tsumkwe.
The accident occurred approximately 9 kilometres east of Maroelaboom at about 11:40.
It is alleged that the bakkie travelling in front of the bus slowed down to view a giraffe. According to Mbeha as the bus was about to overtake, the bakkie turned right resulting in the accident.
The bus rolled several times after it collided with the bakkie.
“The tourist bus from South Africa allegedly drove into a moving double cab which had four tourists from France.”
The bus had 26 occupants, including the deceased woman.
Mbeha said these included 23 tourists from Spain, two Zimbabweans and a 44-year-old driver from South Africa.
The 25 remaining tourists in the bus survived the accident with slight to serious injuries.
The French tourists in the bakkie – two men and two women – also survived with slight injuries.
The injured from both vehicles were taken to the Grootfontein State Hospital and were flown to Windhoek for further medical attention.
This is the third accident in Namibia involving tourists the past two weeks. Last week Sunday a well-known Israeli photographer was killed and his wife injured in an accident in the north.
They were travelling with two other Israeli nationals through the country on a photography trip.
The accident occurred on the Oshikuku/Oshakati main road at the Etayi junction.
The driver of the Ford Ranger allegedly tried to avoid hitting a donkey in the road and the car overturned.
Amos Gil, 72, was killed in the accident, while his wife Irit, 66, and the other two Israeli nationals, Joseph Shakaka, 73, and Carmela Heffer, 32 were injured.
The week before that an Italian tourist was killed in an accident and three other Italians injured.
The accident occurred on the Helmeringhausen road.
It is alleged that four Italian women were traveling in a Toyota Hilux when the driver, 46, lost control of the vehicle and it overturned. Ingrid Simona Ungaro, 37, died at the scene.
The other women sustained serious to slight injuries.
ELLANIE SMIT
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