ANECDOTES



Many anecdotes come to our ears. And, sad enough, they keep coming. They clearly show that better preparation and/or behaviour could have prevented a lot of trouble. Not only for the victims themselves, but also for those who come to rescue them and the next of kin. Let history speak for it selves……..

Vietnam. Driving downhill, a project vehicle (minibus) slipped on a winding road. Despite various attempts, the driver could not slow the vehicle down. Investigation showed that the brake system failed because the wrong fluid was used to top the system up. All passengers survived but the minibus was complete wreck.


Pakistan. A Dutch expat was driven to the airport by his driver. He was on his way to reunite with his wife who was due to give birth in a hospital in Holland. In the early dark morning their vehicle collided with a parked truck without lights. Both driver and expats did not survive.


Zaire. Another brand-new NGO owned pick-up lost. The vehicle drove on a dike but had to make a detour because of construction works being carried out. The car slowly went down the steep slope. Because of moving cargo (a generator, not fixed) started to slide, the car started to roll-over and ended up on the foot of the dike. Except for a few scratches and bruises no one was hurt but the bodywork of the vehicle was completely finished. High costs and delay of the project were the result.


Niger. A private owned 4x4 vehicle rolled-over due to a blown tyre. There was no other vehicle involved. Two out of five passengers became severely wounded, had to be evacuated and needed to undergo many weeks of hospital treatment.