STORY: A visit to Kolmanskop ghost town in Namibia
SHOOTING TIME: May 1, 2024
DATELINE: May 3, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:45
LOCATION: KOLMANSKOP, Namibia
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Kolmanskop ghost town

STORYLINE:

In the southern part of Namibia, heaps of sand fill the German-architecture-style buildings in deserted Kolmanskop town. Known as the ghost town, the once prosperous diamond mining hub has become a popular destination for both local and international travelers.

Kolmanskop, located less than 10 kilometers from the main port of Lüderitz town, was founded in 1908 after a local rail worker named Zacharias Lewala discovered a diamond and showed it to August Stauch, a German railroad inspector and supervisor at that time.

With the discovery of minerals, the town began to develop and attract more settlers. By the 1920s, Kolmanskop's population had grown to 1,200 from about 700 families.

The diamond mines, however, dried up after World War I, depleting the town's resources and causing its inhabitants to migrate to other mining areas down south. As a result, Kolmanskop was abandoned by 1954.

Despite its abandonment, Kolmanskop has emerged as a popular tourism destination, attracting visitors intrigued by its eerie beauty and history.

The facility welcomes about 30 to 200 local and international visitors daily.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Kolmanskop, Namibia.
(XHTV)