The Namibian Police Force’s Forensic Pathology subdivision at Katima Mulilo has formally released the bodies of the four German nationals who died in a plane crash at Impalila Island earlier this month.

The four family members and a South African pilot died on board the aircraft that crashed on the banks of the Zambezi River.

NamPol spokesperson, Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, told Nampa on Tuesday the bodies of the German tourists were released to their family on Friday, 16 September 2022 after their identities were confirmed.

She also indicated that the body of the South African pilot was released and collected prior to that.

“The family members of the victims did not travel to Namibia, which complicated the identification. Identification is a vital administrative and legal requirement in the case of unnatural deaths. This caused a delay as other methods of identification had to be performed (physical identification by the employer of the South African pilot and through fingerprint identification in the case of the German family),” she explained further.

The bodies of the German nationals are however still at the Katima Mulilo morgue while a local undertaker makes arrangements for their collection and further repatriation.

According to earlier reports, the Cessna 210 was en route to Rundu when it crashed moments after taking off from the Impalila Island airstrip.

Investigators from the Directorate of Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigations successfully retrieved the wreckage from the crocodile infested Zambezi River waters at Impalila Island, including the engine of the aircraft.

Meanwhile, Director of Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigations, Magnus Abraham upon enquiry on Tuesday told Nampa the preliminary report on the accident will in all likelihood be released on Wednesday (21 September).

To allow for independent and objective findings, he said, the engine of the aircraft has been transported to South Africa to be analysed further.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency