Culpable homicide case opened after deadly Oshikoto crash

A case of culpable homicide has been opened after a deadly collision between a bus and a sand truck near Oniimbwele village, about eight kilometres outside Ondangwa, on Sunday evening.

The accident, which claimed eight lives, occurred at around 17h40 on the B1 road between Oniipa and Omuthiya.

It involved a white bus belonging to Okambebe Transport and a sand truck owned by Niimboto Construction CC.

According to Namibian Police national spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, the truck was travelling from Onathinge towards Ondangwa when it allegedly swerved into the opposite lane, crashing head-on with the oncoming bus, which was headed to Windhoek.

“The impact was severe, resulting in seven fatalities on the spot and another victim succumbing to injuries upon arrival at Onandjokwe State Hospital. All those who died were passengers in the bus, including the driver,” Shikwambi says.

The deceased include the 52-year-old bus driver, two unidentified minor girls, a male aged between 20 and 30, a 22-year-old Namibian woman, a 52-year-old Namibian woman, another unidentified woman, a 25-year-old woman who died at hospital, and a 32-year-old Angolan man, Shikwambi confirms.

She says the 52-year-old truck driver, who was alone in the vehicle, sustained serious injuries and was admitted to Onandjokwe State Hospital for treatment.

Shikwambi adds that the bodies of the deceased were transported to the Onandjokwe State Hospital mortuary for autopsies, while efforts to notify the next of kin are ongoing.

No arrest has been made yet, and investigations into the cause of the fatal crash continue.

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