Otjiwarongo: All four people who died after three vehicles collided on the B1 road near Otjiwarongo on Friday, have been identified.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the Namibian Police Force's head of community affairs in the region, Senior Inspector Maureen Mbeha, stated in an interview Monday that the fourth deceased was identified on Sunday as 60-year-old Evelina Shingenge, who was a passenger in one of the vehicles.

The identification of Shingenge follows that of the three other victims who were travelling in a Toyota sedan. They include 21-year-old Jana Grove and 80-year-old Chirise Steyn, both Namibian nationals, and 57-year-old Christina Maria Prinsloo from South Africa. Relatives of the three women have been informed of their deaths.

The accident occurred approximately 33 kilometres south of Otjiwarongo around 13h00 on Friday. Police reports suggest that an SUV swerved into the right lane on the road, which was slippery from recent rainfall, colliding head-on with an oncoming pick-up. The impact caused the Toyota sedan, which was driving behind the pick-up, to also crash into the SUV.

Mbeha noted that three women aged 21, 57, and 80 years who were in the sedan died. A 60-year-old woman from the Mercedes SUV also died as a result of the accident. The police officer added that 13 people, including the drivers, were involved in the accident, with nine other occupants sustaining injuries ranging from slight to serious. They were initially taken to the Otjiwarongo State Hospital, after which some were transferred to hospitals in Windhoek.

A case docket for culpable homicide and reckless and negligent driving was opened at the Otjiwarongo Police Station. Police investigations into the matter continue.