The quiet after the crash

The scene where a chartered plane crashed into the Zambezi River minutes after take-off on Tuesday was eerily quiet hours after the incident, with only pieces of wreckage moving in the lapping water and birds chirping in the distance.The crash at Mawu village on Impalila Island killed five people, identified as South African pilot Nicole Mienie (21) and the Rings family from Germany - Thomas (59), Evelyn (57), Alicia (20) and Paulina (17).Between reeds in the deep water of the river, the wreckage of the V5-LMK plane owned by Scenic Air is just 300 metres away from rural airstrip where the aircraft took off. Amongst the wreckage is a mini coolbox, a photo album and a sock.While speculation is rife on what caused the accident, investigations into the matter are expected to take 30 days for a preliminary report.Eyewitness accountJust 24 hours after the crash, eye witness Gift Sikombelwa (22), whose house is about 20 metres from the accident scene, narrated that he was working in his garden when he heard the plane take off.He managed to look up right before the aircraft crashed into the river, he said.“I saw the plane and it was not balancing well. The next thing I heard was when it made a ssshhh sound after it crashed into the water,” he recalled.Despite being the first on the scene and seeing one of the lifeless bodies, Sikombelwa – like the scene – was calm.By yesterday, a team of experts from Windhoek was set to do assessments at the scene, while a team from an insurance company was also said to be travelling to Impalila Island to assess the situation.Numerous tributes have poured in for the victims, with tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta yesterday shared a statement expressing government’s condolences to the bereaved families.He said the incident was unfortunate and most regrettable.kenya@namibiansun.com

The quiet after the crash

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Namibian Sun 2026-07-16

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The quiet after the crash

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Namibian Sun 2026-07-16

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