Otjiwarongo: Five people died in accidents countrywide over the weekend, the Namibian Police Force has reported.

According to Namibia Press Agency, a five-year-old boy died instantly in Old Ombili location in Otjiwarongo after being struck by a Toyota sedan on Friday. The vehicle, allegedly driven by a 50-year-old man without a valid licence who was under the influence of alcohol, crashed into the fence of a house where children were playing. The suspect was arrested and was set to appear in the Otjiwarongo Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

A head-on collision on Friday afternoon on the B8 road near Grootfontein claimed the life of 46-year-old Haikali Silas Simeon. Simeon’s minibus collided with a truck which reportedly overtook another truck before the crash. The truck driver sustained serious injuries and was admitted to the Grootfontein State Hospital, while several passengers from both vehicles were treated for injuries. Some of the accident victims were transferred to Windhoek.

Meanwhile, a 10-year-old boy died in a head-on collision Friday afternoon between a sedan and a pick-up on the Oshakati-Okahao main road. Several passengers sustained mild to serious injuries.

Another fatal accident occurred on the Omuntele-Uukwiyuushona gravel road on Saturday, where Gideon Asheela died after a Toyota pick-up overturned. The driver, a 60-year-old pensioner without a licence, and Asheela, a passenger in the vehicle, were seriously injured and taken to the Onandjokwe State Hospital.

In Outapi, a 10-year-old Angolan boy died after being hit by a vehicle at Onhimbu location Saturday afternoon. Police investigations into all incidents are ongoing.