In brief
In a tragic incident on Saturday, a head-on collision between a police van and a corrections service bus in Namibia resulted in the loss of 14 lives, including 11 from the prison service. The President expressed profound sorrow, highlighting Namibia's critical road safety challenges.
A head-on collision in Namibia involving vehicles belonging to the security services killed 14 people, including 11 members of the prison service, a police officer, and two civilians.
The accident took place 270km (167 miles) south of the capital, Windhoek, outside the town of Mariental on Saturday.
No words can truly capture the depth of this loss, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah wrote on social media, praising the souls of our fallen officers.
Namibia has one of the highest road traffic fatality rates in the world.
Home Affairs Minister Lucia Iipumbu also passed on her condolences and thanked those who attended the scene of the accident and the medical teams at Mariental State Hospital.
She asked that photos from the scene not be shared.
The ministry further strongly appeals to members of the public to refrain from circulating distressing and sensitive images and videos taken from the accident scene, out of respect for the deceased, the injured, and their families, she is quoted by the Namibian newspaper as saying.
She explained that 19 people in total were traveling in the two vehicles.
The police van was carrying six passengers - five officers and a civilian - while the Namibian Correctional Service had 13 people on board.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah said three other prison officers remained critically injured.
We wish them strength and a full recovery, she said.
Namibia's Motor Vehicle Accident Fund urged families affected to get in contact.
The government-sponsored vehicle insurance scheme helps road injury victims access healthcare, rehabilitation, and social support.
Its CEO, Rosalia Martins-Hausiku, mentioned that the fund would assist with burials and medical care.
Road traffic crashes are a significant public health issue in Namibia, despite its population of approximately three million.
A comparison of 2021 statistics shows Namibia had 22 road traffic fatalities per 100,000 compared to just 2.3 per 100,000 in the UK that year.
