Gas victim asked for kisses before dying

FOURTEEN-year-old Jujina !Nau/Gawases asked to be kissed twice before she died on 26 December.

Speaking to The Namibian after the burial of Jujina – the 11th victim of a gas explosion at Farm Luhl/Garib at Dordabis on Saturday – Aletha !Nau/Gawases said her daughter had done something strange that day.

“She asked me to kiss her that day in the hospital. After that, she asked for water and some milk. For the second time, she asked me to kiss her, and I did. Just then, her eyes flipped once and she was gone,” the mother said.

The gas explosion occurred on 14 October, injuring 15 people, 10 of whom died in the immediate wake of the explosion and were buried on 5 November at the farm.

Jujina was buried next to her younger brother Aliandro, who also died from the explosion.

!Nau /Gawases said she always gave Jujina kisses when she visited her in hospital.

“This time, she asked me to kiss her. It was like she knew. She was saying goodbye. She was a special child, always helpful and kind to others. I will always miss her,” Aletha said.

Those who attended the funeral service prayed that Jujina should be the last one to die from the gas explosion.

“Spare those who are left, Father. Let her be the last victim. This was too harsh a beating,” prayed pastor Maureen Dausas of the ELCRN at Dordabis.

Farm owner Jule Hess, her mother and sister comforted Jujina’s relatives as the casket was lowered into the grave.

Hess recounted the night of the fire, saying Jujina and the others walked to her house despite their burns, with their clothes stuck to the wounds.

“Those burns. There was nothing I could do. No first aid, nothing, because complications could come from that. I could only give them water when they asked for it,” she said.

Hess, who spoke for the first time since the tragedy, struggled to control her tears, saying it has been very hard on her, but that she gets her strength from the affected families.

“They are so strong, and have so much faith. They never even asked why. Why them, or why did it happen? If it was me, I am not sure I would have been able to cope,” she stated.

Uhuru Dempers from the ELCRN thanked all who contributed to the family trust as they had been able to raise N$85 000 and more, which covered the costs of the funerals.

“There is still money left, and still a lot to do. Counselling must go on for the affected victims,” he said.

The explosion happened when a three-kilogramme gas bottle burst and leaked through the house to the outside and caught fire, burning 15 people, who were watching television that evening.

Those who were buried during the mass burial are Veronica Plaatjies, Nicolene Geibes, Anna Geibes, Henricho Plaatjies, Borris Geibeb, Annazet Geibes, Aliandro !Nau /Gawaseb, Annalien Geibes and Bradley Jagger, as well as the unborn foetus of the Geibes family.