Eleventh gas explosion victim dies

Eleventh gas explosion victim dies JANA-MARI SMITH

The death toll from a gas explosion on a farm near Dordabis that killed nine children and one adult has risen to eleven, after 14-year-old Jujina !Nau/gawases died the day after Christmas.

On Monday, 26 December, !Nau/gawases, who had turned 14 a week earlier, succumbed to the severe injuries sustained in the gas explosion on Farm Garib in mid-October.

“I wish to express our heartfelt condolences to the family, especially the mother and father of Jujina who were looking forward to celebrating the New Year with her,” the regional councillor for the Windhoek Rural Constituency, Penina Inga Ita, said at a press conference on Friday.

“This tragedy has robbed us of so many young lives and the suffering by family members and the community is beyond imagination,” she said.

A mass funeral was held in early November for the first ten victims.

A memorial service for Jujina will be held on farm Garib on 6 January and the funeral will be conducted on the farm the next day.

Jujina’s mother, Maria !Nau/gawases, whose six-year-old son Aliandre !Nau/gawases was one of the first victims who died shortly after the explosion, said words failed to express the pain and grief she and her family were experiencing.

She has one surviving daughter, an 11-year-old girl, who was not present at the explosion, and who is reportedly struggling to cope in the aftermath of the loss of her siblings.

Antolika Gawases, a family spokesperson, on Friday said the surviving daughter struggled to sleep and required regular counselling.

A three-year-old boy, Hernandes Plaaitjies, is still being treated at the Windhoek Central Hospital. Three others, the couple Anna Geibes and Erick Jooste, who lost four children in the explosion, and a young girl, Erica Geibes, have been discharged in the meantime.

Ita on Friday said that Plaaitjies was released from hospital for a day visit to his family on Christmas and that his condition “is encouraging and he is able to walk again”.

The bereaved families have expressed thanks for the help and support they have received.

Ita said the response from Namibians across the country was noteworthy, with donations streaming in consisting of food, clothing, bedding and other items, as well as financial assistance.

A new house will be built to replace the one destroyed in the explosion, but construction will only start once it has been decided whether the family will stay on the farm or relocate

Anyone wishing to contribute financially to assist with funeral and other costs can do so by submitting payments to: Witbeen Family funds – Smartcard account number: 343 743 633

For further information, contact Antolika Gowases at 081 368 4678, Pauline Soroses 081 295 1391 or Uhuru Dempers at 081 217 7762.