12 die in horror crash

TWELVE people, including four children, died in a mangle of twisted metal and flames south of Rehoboth on Sunday.

One person was burnt beyond recognition. Two vehicles, a commuter minibus and a bakkie, collided 30 km outside Kalkrand on the way to Rehoboth and the 12 people died on the spot, Regional Police Commander Chief Inspector Kobus Meyer said from Mariental.The accident took place at around 17h30.Meyer said the accident was probably one of the worst ever on Namibian roads.Details about the people who died where very sketchy yesterday afternoon, as Police were still trying to trace their families.However, The Namibian established that the driver of the minibus was Mengeni Kharigub, better known as ‘Nugget’ among his peers – a young man from Gibeon who was in the family transport business.Fellow minibus drivers said although Kharigub usually did the Windhoek-Walvis Bay route, he was hired by a church group to transport them to the funeral of a relative of Hardap Regional Governor Katrina Hanse at Mariental.Ten of the victims were in the minibus, which was transporting a group of people returning to Windhoek from a funeral in Mariental, while the other two were in the bakkie.Eight other people were injured and are receiving treatment at Mariental and in Windhoek.Chief Inspector Meyer said a sedan – a Nissan Almera – and the bakkie were heading southwards while the minibus was travelling northwards to Windhoek.The driver of the bakkie is believed to have noticed a BMW parked next to the road and reduced his speed.The driver of the Almera realised too late that the bakkie had slowed down and tried to brake.When that did not work, he tried to pass and in the process of swerving back into the lane, his car hit the bakkie with its rear end.Meyer said the driver of the bakkie lost control and collided head-on with the oncoming minibus.The bakkie was said to have caught fire and one of the people in it burnt beyond recognition.He was later identified as a senior official in the Karas Regional Council office.Chief Inspector Meyer said some of the corpses were sent to Rehoboth when the Mariental mortuary got too full.The body that was burnt beyond recognition was sent to Windhoek for an autopsy.Meyer said they sent out the Kalkrand Police as soon as the report reached them, while ambulances from Mariental and Rehoboth also rushed to the scene.Police in Windhoek are expected to provide more details on the accident today.Yesterday, their main concern was to trace and inform all the relatives before the grim news reached them through other channels.Two vehicles, a commuter minibus and a bakkie, collided 30 km outside Kalkrand on the way to Rehoboth and the 12 people died on the spot, Regional Police Commander Chief Inspector Kobus Meyer said from Mariental.The accident took place at around 17h30.Meyer said the accident was probably one of the worst ever on Namibian roads.Details about the people who died where very sketchy yesterday afternoon, as Police were still trying to trace their families.However, The Namibian established that the driver of the minibus was Mengeni Kharigub, better known as ‘Nugget’ among his peers – a young man from Gibeon who was in the family transport business.Fellow minibus drivers said although Kharigub usually did the Windhoek-Walvis Bay route, he was hired by a church group to transport them to the funeral of a relative of Hardap Regional Governor Katrina Hanse at Mariental.Ten of the victims were in the minibus, which was transporting a group of people returning to Windhoek from a funeral in Mariental, while the other two were in the bakkie. Eight other people were injured and are receiving treatment at Mariental and in Windhoek.Chief Inspector Meyer said a sedan – a Nissan Almera – and the bakkie were heading southwards while the minibus was travelling northwards to Windhoek.The driver of the bakkie is believed to have noticed a BMW parked next to the road and reduced his speed.The driver of the Almera realised too late that the bakkie had slowed down and tried to brake.When that did not work, he tried to pass and in the process of swerving back into the lane, his car hit the bakkie with its rear end.Meyer said the driver of the bakkie lost control and collided head-on with the oncoming minibus.The bakkie was said to have caught fire and one of the people in it burnt beyond recognition.He was later identified as a senior official in the Karas Regional Council office.Chief Inspector Meyer said some of the corpses were sent to Rehoboth when the Mariental mortuary got too full.The body that was burnt beyond recognition was sent to Windhoek for an autopsy.Meyer said they sent out the Kalkrand Police as soon as the report reached them, while ambulances from Mariental and Rehoboth also rushed to the scene.Police in Windhoek are expected to provide more details on the accident today.Yesterday, their main concern was to trace and inform all the relatives before the grim news reached them through other channels.