At least 11 people were killed this morning when a passenger bus carrying medical staff and patients collided head-on with a truck in central Namibia, authorities have confirmed.

The accident occurred at approximately 6am local time on a road roughly 30 kilometres south of Otjiwarongo. The bus had departed from Khorixas earlier and was making scheduled stops in Outjo and Otjiwarongo to pick up and drop off patients when the collision happened.

According to the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), the impact was severe, resulting in a devastating crash that left multiple victims dead at the scene. Hours after the incident, the charred remains of some victims were still on the roadway as recovery efforts continued.

Namibian Police Traffic Unit Commissioner Petrus Swartz described the scene as delicate and said recovery operations were being handled with extreme care.
“The scene is delicate, as the bodies need to be removed carefully and transported to Windhoek for further analysis,” Commissioner Swartz stated.

A specialised support team was dispatched from the capital, Windhoek, to assist local officers. The response team includes forensic investigators from the Namibian Police led by Commissioner Nelius Becke, along with officials from the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund.

Officials have not yet released details on the cause of the crash, and an investigation is underway.

The tragedy has raised renewed concerns about road safety in Namibia, particularly involving long-distance transport and medical service vehicles operating across remote regions. (ILKHA)