A total of 45 people, almost all the passengers of a bus, died in a serious road accident in South Africa on Thursday after the vehicle fell from a bridge, about 50 meters high, and crashed on the bottom a ravine.
“The accident, involving a bus transporting passengers from Botswana, in Moria (north), resulted in at least 45 deaths and one seriously injured,” the Ministry of Transport announced in a press release.
“The driver lost control of the vehicle and hit the security barriers on the bridge. The bus went over the bridge and hit the ground, where it caught fire”, states the ministry.
There were 46 people in the bus, including the driver
Only one person – an eight-year-old child – survived, according to the provincial Department of Transport.
The child was transported to the hospital.
“Some bodies have burned so much that they are unrecognizable, others are stuck under the wreckage, and others are bandaged on the spot,” the department states in a statement.
Operations continued until late Thursday evening, he states.
The accident took place on a huge bridge suspended between two hills, near Mmamatlakala, in Limpopo province (north), more than 300 kilometers away from Johannesburg.
The bus has Botswana registration numbers, according to local authorities.
The nationalities of the passengers have not been confirmed at this stage.
Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga, who went to the scene on Thursday, promised a thorough investigation into the causes of the accident.
South Africa has one of the most developed road networks in Africa, but ranks among the worst performers in road safety.
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday urged South Africans “to do everything they can to make the Easter holiday pass safely”.
“Easter should not be a time to wait for statistics of tragedies or injuries on our roads”, he urged in a statement just a few hours before the accident.
Tags: Disaster South Africa Dozens dead bus full passengers fell bridge
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