A German family and their South African pilot died on Tuesday when their plane crashed on take-off on the river island of Impalila in north-east Namibia, local authorities said on Wednesday.
Namibia’s Ministry of Works and Transport says it is investigating what caused the six-seater Cessna 210 to crash shortly after take-off, killing all five people on board.
“There were four occupants plus a pilot and all died on impact,” Inspector Elifas Kuwinga said in a statement.
Ministry spokesperson Julius Ngweda told Voice of America that the plane belonged to a local company, Scenic Air, but he could provide no further details, according to Voice of America.
The deceased were later identified as Nicole Mienie from South Africa and Thomas Rings, Dr Evelyn Rings, Alicia Rings and Paulina Rings. The youngest victim, Paulina, was just 17, according to Informante, citing a report by The South African.
Scenic Air managing director Michael Bottger said in a press release that the cause of the crash was not known.
“Everyone at Scenic Air is devastated by this tragic event,” read the release, “and our deep and heartfelt condolences go out to the families and friends who lost loved ones.”
The island is in the Kavango-Zambezi Game Reserve, a unique ecological site that also extends into Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
There are many lodges in the area for safari tourists.
IOL