Niël Terblanché
A collision between a train and a pick-up truck claimed the life of the 33-year-old Magreta Kaunivi who along with 11 other people, were on their way to attend a church event for Easter in Omatjete.
According to an accident report provided by the Namibian Police in the Erongo Region, the fatal collision occurred in the early hours of Friday morning at a railway crossing close to Wilhelmstal.
“The collision occurred at about 03:00 on the gravel road between Wilhelmstal and Omaruru when the driver of Mazda bakkie, who was transporting 12 people to Omatjete for a church gathering, drove across the railway line without looking for an oncoming train,” the report reads.
The locomotive of the train smashed into the bakkie on the right rear side which resulted in the death of Kaunivi.
According to the accident report, the driver and another passenger escaped without any injuries while the remaining ten churchgoers were transported to the Okahandja Hospital with various degrees of injury.
The driver of the train also did not sustain any injuries.
The remains of the deceased person were taken to the mortuary of the Karirbib State Clinic.
