South Africa bus crash kills 45 Easter pilgrims, Transport Ministry says

A bus carrying worshippers from Botswana to a church event in South Africa for Easter weekend fell off a bridge in a mountain pass on Thursday, catching fire upon impact with the rocky terrain below and resulting in at least 45 fatalities, as reported by officials.

An 8-year-old child is the sole survivor and is currently receiving treatment for severe injuries.

The Limpopo provincial government stated that the bus swerved off the Mmamatlakala bridge in northern South Africa, dropping 50 meters (164 feet) into a gorge and immediately igniting.

Rescue teams are still searching, but many of the deceased are burned beyond recognition and trapped inside the burned bus, with some having been ejected during the crash.

The incident took place near Mokopane, roughly 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of Pretoria, the capital of South Africa.

Hours later, smoke was still rising from the twisted, charred wreckage under the concrete bridge. It seems the driver lost control, causing the bus to smash through the bridge’s barriers and plunge over the side. The driver was among those killed.

President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa conveyed that the deceased were all from Botswana, en route to Moria in Limpopo for a well-attended Easter pilgrimage by the Zion Christian Church, which draws hundreds of thousands from South Africa and neighbouring nations.

The South African government often warns of the danger of accidents during the Easter holidays, a particularly dangerous time for road travel in that part of the country. Last year, more than 200 people died in traffic accidents over the Easter weekend.