Tragic Road Accident in Namibia Claims 14 Lives, Including Prison Officers

Tue Sep 23 2025 13:45:39 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A head-on collision involving a police van and a prison bus in Namibia has led to the tragic deaths of 14 individuals, highlighting the alarming rate of road traffic fatalities in the country.

A devastating accident in Namibia has resulted in the deaths of 14 people, including 11 prison service members, after a head-on collision between a police van and a prison bus. This tragic event occurred near Mariental, 270km south of Windhoek, drawing condolences from national leaders amid concerns over the country's high road traffic fatality rates.

A head-on collision in Namibia involving vehicles belonging to the security services killed 14 people, including 11 members of the prison service, a police officer, and two civilians.

The accident took place 270km (167 miles) south of the capital, Windhoek, outside the town of Mariental on Saturday.

No words can truly capture the depth of this loss, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah wrote on social media, praising the souls of our fallen officers.

Namibia has one of the highest road traffic fatality rates in the world.

Home Affairs Minister Lucia Iipumbu also expressed her condolences and thanked those who attended the scene of the accident and the medical teams at Mariental State Hospital.

She asked that photos from the scene not be shared, stressing the importance of respecting the deceased and their families.

The Ministry noted a total of 19 individuals were in the two vehicles involved in the crash. The police van was carrying six passengers, while the Namibian Correctional Service had 13 people on board.

President Nandi-Ndaitwah noted that three other prison officers remained critically injured, wishing them strength and a full recovery.

Namibia's Motor Vehicle Accident Fund urged affected families to reach out, offering support for healthcare and burial costs. With a population of only three million people, Namibia's road traffic accidents pose significant public health challenges, reflected in statistics showing 22 fatalities per 100,000 individuals compared to 2.3 in the UK.