Nation mourns as fatalities reach 16 in Mariental crash
Twaalf lede van die Namibiese korrektiewe dienste, drie lede van die Namibiese polisie en 'n burgerlike het in die kop-teen-botsing gesterf.
What can be described as an extremely dark day for Namibia’s men and women in uniform saw the death toll rise to 16 following a head-on collision between two vehicles of the Namibian Police (Nampol) and the Correctional Services (NCS) by yesterday afternoon.
This includes 12 NCS personnel, three police officers, and one civilian.
The head-on collision occurred on Saturday between 06:30 and 07:00 on the B1 main road, five kilometres north of Mariental. The NCS vehicle was transporting correctional officers to their service station at Hardap Correctional Services, while the Nampol vehicle was travelling from the Withuis settlement to Mariental.
According to an initial statement issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security, 14 people died in the accident - 12 uniformed personnel and two civilians. The statement was updated yesterday after another uniformed officer and a civilian died in hospital, bringing the total to 16. According to information provided, the police vehicle was carrying six passengers, while the NCS vehicle had 13.
Six officers from both Nampol and NCS were transported from the state hospital in Mariental to Windhoek for further treatment following the collision. The bodies of the deceased were taken to the police mortuary in Windhoek.
In a statement from the President’s office, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, on behalf of the government, expressed her condolences to the relatives of the deceased.
“My heart goes out to the families who have lost loved ones and to the men and women of the Namibian Police and Correctional Services who are mourning their colleagues. No words can truly capture the depth of this loss,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
She emphasised that “our nation mourns with you” and that the officers, together with the civilian victim, “were part of our Namibian family” and leave a void that will not easily be filled.
“Their dedication and service to our country will always be remembered with respect and gratitude.”
The NCS, through the office of its Commissioner-General, issued a notice that all visits to the Hardap Correctional Services facility are suspended until further notice. It pledged to work tirelessly to ensure normal visiting hours resume as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Minister of Safety and Security Lucia Iipumba appealed to the public to refrain from circulating graphic photos taken at the accident scene. Names believed to belong to the victims of the tragic accident have also been widely shared on social media. By press time, the ministry’s spokesperson Margaret Kalo had not responded to questions on whether the names indeed belonged to the victims or when the names of the deceased would be officially released.
This includes 12 NCS personnel, three police officers, and one civilian.
The head-on collision occurred on Saturday between 06:30 and 07:00 on the B1 main road, five kilometres north of Mariental. The NCS vehicle was transporting correctional officers to their service station at Hardap Correctional Services, while the Nampol vehicle was travelling from the Withuis settlement to Mariental.
According to an initial statement issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security, 14 people died in the accident - 12 uniformed personnel and two civilians. The statement was updated yesterday after another uniformed officer and a civilian died in hospital, bringing the total to 16. According to information provided, the police vehicle was carrying six passengers, while the NCS vehicle had 13.
Six officers from both Nampol and NCS were transported from the state hospital in Mariental to Windhoek for further treatment following the collision. The bodies of the deceased were taken to the police mortuary in Windhoek.
In a statement from the President’s office, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, on behalf of the government, expressed her condolences to the relatives of the deceased.
“My heart goes out to the families who have lost loved ones and to the men and women of the Namibian Police and Correctional Services who are mourning their colleagues. No words can truly capture the depth of this loss,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
She emphasised that “our nation mourns with you” and that the officers, together with the civilian victim, “were part of our Namibian family” and leave a void that will not easily be filled.
“Their dedication and service to our country will always be remembered with respect and gratitude.”
The NCS, through the office of its Commissioner-General, issued a notice that all visits to the Hardap Correctional Services facility are suspended until further notice. It pledged to work tirelessly to ensure normal visiting hours resume as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Minister of Safety and Security Lucia Iipumba appealed to the public to refrain from circulating graphic photos taken at the accident scene. Names believed to belong to the victims of the tragic accident have also been widely shared on social media. By press time, the ministry’s spokesperson Margaret Kalo had not responded to questions on whether the names indeed belonged to the victims or when the names of the deceased would be officially released.
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