Bus Crashes Off A Bridge In South Africa, Killing 45 People

A bus in the province of Limpopo, South Africa, transporting worshippers to an Easter conference, had an incident on Thursday , March 28 when it went down a cliff.

The nation's transport authorities announced that 45 people died in the disaster and that one person suffered critical injuries.

One of the casualties was a group of pilgrims from Botswana's capital, Gaborone, who were going to an Easter religious meeting.

According to reports, the bus caught fire as it collided with something during the terrible accident that happened in the Mamatlakala mountain pass between Mokopane and Marken.

She was evacuated to the hospital after the remarkable eight-year-old girl survived the incident.

Reports indicate that the driver lost control, leading the bus to go off the road and catch fire when it landed. Investigations into the reason of the disaster are still ongoing.

The victims' bodies are still being recovered; some are badly charred, while others are stuck in the debris.

“Some bodies burned beyond recognition.

“Others are trapped inside the debris and others [are] scattered on the scene,” the local department said.

The families of the deceased will be receiving condolences from Sindisiwe Chikunga, the Minister of Transport of South Africa, who also confirmed intentions to return the bodies to Botswana.

Chikunga called for increased awareness and stressed the value of safe driving, especially over the Easter holiday, in order to stop more deaths on the roads.

“I am sending my heartfelt condolences to the families affected by the tragic bus crash near Mamatlakala. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time. We continue to urge responsible driving at all times with heightened alertness as more people are on our roads this Easter weekend,” he said.