
Photo: Collected
Sixteen people were killed when a police vehicle collided with a correctional services van in southern Namibia, officials confirmed on Sunday.
The crash occurred on Saturday morning along a motorway near Mariental, about 270 kilometres south of the capital, Windhoek.
Authorities said most of the dead were security officials, while at least two were civilians. Images from the site showed mangled wreckage and bodies scattered on the road.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah offered condolences to the victims’ families, saying their loss leaves “a void that will not be easily filled.”
Road accidents are a major cause of death in the sparsely populated country. Official figures show more than 400 people died in crashes during the 2023–2024 financial year, according to the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund.