WINDHOEK: A man sustained serious injuries when a train collided with the vehicle he was travelling in at a railway crossing in the Brakwater area on the northern outskirts of the capital on Tuesday evening.

Another man who was a passenger in the vehicle, escaped unhurt from the accident.

The collision took place between 18h00 and 18h40 at the turn-off to Dobra in the Brakwater area, just a few metres from the notorious B1 road.

The Senior Superintendent of the Windhoek City Police and Emergency Management Department, Gerry Shikesho told Nampa upon enquiry on Wednesday morning that the collision was unavoidable as the vehicle allegedly developed some mechanical problems while attempting to cross the railway line, causing it to stall.

The locomotive engineer and his crew apparently saw the vehicle approaching the railway line at the turn-off to Dobra, but assumed that it would cross the railway line before the train reached the crossing.

Upon realising that this was not the case, the crew started signalling the driver of the vehicle to move away from the railway line.

“To their surprise, the vehicle remained stationary on the railway line due to alleged mechanical problems, and could not cross over. As a result, it was too late for the locomotive engineer to apply the brakes and avoid the collision,” Shikesho explained.

The emergency rescue personnel who rushed to the scene of the collision shortly after the accident, had to use the Jaws of Life to free the two victims from the vehicle.

The injured man is now receiving medical attention at the Katutura State Hospital.

Police investigations are underway to determine the circumstances which led to the accident.