Okahandja crash: Delay in issuing death certificates
Enzo Amuele
Otjiwarongo
The families of 16 victims who died in a horrific accident north of Okahandja will have to wait to get their death certificates.
According to a Namibian police report, the accident occurred during the early hours of the 10 December 2021, 14km outside of Okahandja towards Otjiwarongo.
A Toyota Quantum mini bus and a sedan collided head on, leading to both vehicles bursting into flames. The bodies of 15 victims burned beyond recognition, requiring DNA testing for accurate identification. A 16th victim died in a Windhoek hospital.
The names of the deceased were announced at a memorial service held on 28 December at Onakaheke village in the Omusati Region.
According to a source, the victims are from nearby villages and usually travel per bus to the north for holidays, which made it easy to identify them.
DNA delay
According to deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, DNA analysis is a costly process. She said while the Namibian Police Forensic Science Institute (NPFSI) receives funding from government, unforeseen accidents that require DNA testing affect the institute’s operations.
Due to this and an insufficient budget, a backlog of 4 000 cases has been accumulated, she said. These cases include murders and rapes, of which a large majority are in court or under investigation.
“Unfortunately due to legal implications, death certificates cannot be issued for individuals who have not yet been identified and due to the circumstances of the accident, DNA is the only accurate method for making such identification,” she said.
Shikwambi further assured the affected families that the Namibian police is not giving up on the process, but will persist to have the DNA analyses finalised.
NPFSI head Nelius Becker said DNA and reference samples of victims and family members have already been collected, however, the actual profiling has not begun because of a lack of reagents and consumables.
He also admitted that the process is lengthy and costly.
“We are asking the families to please bear with us as there is backlog of cases dating back to several years ago. We are not giving up,” he said.
Otjiwarongo
The families of 16 victims who died in a horrific accident north of Okahandja will have to wait to get their death certificates.
According to a Namibian police report, the accident occurred during the early hours of the 10 December 2021, 14km outside of Okahandja towards Otjiwarongo.
A Toyota Quantum mini bus and a sedan collided head on, leading to both vehicles bursting into flames. The bodies of 15 victims burned beyond recognition, requiring DNA testing for accurate identification. A 16th victim died in a Windhoek hospital.
The names of the deceased were announced at a memorial service held on 28 December at Onakaheke village in the Omusati Region.
According to a source, the victims are from nearby villages and usually travel per bus to the north for holidays, which made it easy to identify them.
DNA delay
According to deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, DNA analysis is a costly process. She said while the Namibian Police Forensic Science Institute (NPFSI) receives funding from government, unforeseen accidents that require DNA testing affect the institute’s operations.
Due to this and an insufficient budget, a backlog of 4 000 cases has been accumulated, she said. These cases include murders and rapes, of which a large majority are in court or under investigation.
“Unfortunately due to legal implications, death certificates cannot be issued for individuals who have not yet been identified and due to the circumstances of the accident, DNA is the only accurate method for making such identification,” she said.
Shikwambi further assured the affected families that the Namibian police is not giving up on the process, but will persist to have the DNA analyses finalised.
NPFSI head Nelius Becker said DNA and reference samples of victims and family members have already been collected, however, the actual profiling has not begun because of a lack of reagents and consumables.
He also admitted that the process is lengthy and costly.
“We are asking the families to please bear with us as there is backlog of cases dating back to several years ago. We are not giving up,” he said.
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