Renthia Kaimbi
Motorists in Walvis Bay were left alarmed on Tuesday morning after what appeared to be a serious multi-vehicle accident at a busy intersection.
The scene showed a damaged truck, a passenger bus, injured people and orange smoke.
It was later confirmed to be an unannounced emergency drill.
The exercise took place near the Manica Group Namibia head office and Namport offices.
The simulation involved a truck carrying bagged chemicals colliding with a passenger bus.
One victim lay on the road, another was exposed to a simulated chemical spill and the truck driver was trapped inside the vehicle.
Orange smoke was used to simulate a fire. Emergency services arrived within minutes.
Ambulances, police, the fire brigade, traffic officers and road inspectors responded.
Hazmat teams were also deployed.
Manica’s internal safety teams and first-aiders took part.
The Motor Vehicle Accident Fund and state hospital staff were included in the response system.
Observers monitored the exercise.
They assessed response times, coordination and how procedures were followed.
The drill aimed to test the chain of command and identify gaps in emergency response.
The lack of public notice caused confusion.
Motorists slowed down to look at the scene.
Pedestrians gathered, thinking it was a real accident.
Media crews also responded after receiving alerts.
Managing Director Ralph Ruiters said the exercise reflects the risks in their operations.
“You see the amount of trucks and the type of chemicals we handle. It can be hazardous or non-hazardous chemicals. We don’t always know what the risks are, so we really need to keep safe and healthy,” he said.
Ruiters thanked all stakeholders who took part and confirmed the incident was not real.
“We are happy to report that it went well. Of course, there are lessons that we can learn. Lastly, I would like to take this moment to thank our emergency partners for the willingness to participate in this exercise. I would also like to apologise to the port users and everybody around the area that could have been impacted by this. We apologise profusely for any inconvenience that may have been caused by this incident. This was just a simulation; it was not real,” he said.
After the exercise, all participants met to review the response and identify areas for improvement.
Participants said the drill provided practical experience and called for similar exercises in the future.
