The bodies of the two Portuguese women who died last Wednesday, April 24, in a collision between two buses 400 kilometers from the Namibian capital of Windhoek, "have not yet been released" and their transfer to Portugal may be delayed due to the "bureaucratic process", the Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities explained to Notícias ao Minuto.

According to José Cesário, the son of one of the victims is already in Namibia to "identify the body" of his mother.

Both bodies should be released after an autopsy, a procedure that is performed on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

However, due to bureaucracy and the fact that this process is "very expensive", the transfer may take longer than expected.

According to the Secretary of State, in both cases, "the insurance will pay the expenses of the transfer", however, it is necessary to find a "certified funeral home" so that this process can be followed up. To do this, as José Cesário explained to Notícias ao Minuto, a funeral home in Portugal should be hired to 'bridge the gap' with a funeral home in Namibia.

Six of the 11 hospitalized "deserve special attention"

Nine of the 20 injured hospitalized after the accident have already been discharged. Eleven remain hospitalized, of which six "deserve", according to the Secretary of State, "special attention", although they are not in danger of life.

These six are hospitalized in an 'iCare' unit, something similar to an emergency service, but different from an Intensive Care Unit.

All hospitalized Portuguese citizens are now being accompanied by the person in charge of the Portuguese consular section who supports them, namely in communication, as some do not speak English and cannot communicate with the health teams.

Some of the injured return to Portugal

According to Lusa, about a dozen of the injured in the accident on Wednesday in Namibia should return to Portugal soon.

Some already have the presence of Portuguese relatives who traveled to Namibia to accompany them.

It should be recalled that the collision between the two buses occurred on Wednesday, at 3 pm local time, 2 pm in Lisbon, in the Kuiseb Valley, on the way to the largest sand dunes of Sossus Vley in the Namibian desert.

The vehicles were carrying 40 tourists, with at least 22 Portuguese tourists in one of the vehicles.

Two passengers from the Portuguese group ended up dying on the spot and 16 had to be hospitalized.

Read Also: After collision in Namibia, 11 Portuguese remain hospitalized (Portuguese version)