The Ministry of International Relations and Trade has confirmed that no Namibian national is currently reported killed or injured in Monday’s deadly bus crash in Angola’s Cuanza Sul province.
The ministry says the Namibian embassy in Luanda contacted Macon Transporters after reports emerged about the accident to verify whether any Namibian was on board.
The accident claimed 22 lives and left several others injured after the Macon passenger bus crashed.
Authorities are, however, still identifying the victims.
Unconfirmed reports have surfaced that several Namibians were on board.
The ministry says according to information the transport company has provided, no Namibian passenger has been confirmed.
The ministry says the embassy has not received any enquiries from family members regarding relatives who may have been travelling on the bus either.
“The ministry will continue to monitor the situation through the embassy and the relevant Angolan authorities and will inform [the public] of any new or verified developments as they become available,” acting executive director Ndiitah Nghipondoka-Robiati said in response to media queries yesterday.
Ohangwena governor Kadiva Hamutumwa yesterday said: “At this stage, my office has not received any information confirming any Namibian involved in the said accident.”
According to a Cuanza Sul provincial government notice, the bodies of the 22 people killed in Monday’s crash have been transported to the Benguela General Hospital mortuary as the authorities prepare to start the identification process.
Families who believe their relatives were travelling on the bus are urged to report to the Criminal Investigation Service’s forensic medicine department in Benguela, Angola, to assist with identifying the victims.
Relatives requiring more information can contact the Cuanza Sul Criminal Investigation Service duty office at +244 938 158 306.
The accident took place in the early hours of Monday morning in the Gangula Municipality along the EN100 road.
According to reports, a three-wheeled motorcycle carrying fuel crashed with the bus, which carried 47 passengers.
The Angolan government has indicated that the severely injured individuals, including the bus driver, were airlifted by air force helicopter to President Julius Nyerere Burns Hospital in Luanda for specialised intensive care.
The remaining injured passengers are being treated at the Comandante Raúl Díaz Arguelles General Hospital in Cuanza-Sul and the 17 de Setembro Hospital.
Patients with less severe injuries or suffering minor smoke inhalation were kept under brief medical observation or have been discharged, the government says.
The accident’s cause is being investigated.
The Angolan authorities have urged compliance with traffic regulations and have warned about the risks of illegally transporting fuel on public roads.
