A tragic bus accident in South Africa’s Limpopo province has claimed the lives of 45 worshipers, with the sole survivor, an eight-year-old girl, airlifted to hospital with serious injuries, reported the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).
The passengers were pilgrims journeying from Botswana’s capital city, Gaborone, to attend an Easter conference at the Zion Christian Church in Moria, according to SABC. The fatal crash occurred in the Mamatlakala mountain pass between Mokopane and Marken when the bus veered off a bridge and caught fire. The cause of the accident is currently under investigation.
“According to reports, the driver lost control and the bus fell onto a rocky surface, some 50 meters under the bridge and caught fire,” stated the province’s transport department.
Efforts to retrieve the bodies of the victims are ongoing, with some bodies severely burned and others trapped in the debris, officials revealed. Florence Radzilani, a member of the province’s Executive Council for Transport and Community Safety, described the scene as “very bad.”
Authorities have managed to recover only 12 bodies so far. Radzilani informed Newzroom Afrika that officials are working tirelessly to recover the remaining bodies.
Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga announced plans to repatriate the victims’ bodies to Botswana, expressing condolences to the affected families and urging responsible driving, particularly during the Easter weekend.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa also conveyed his condolences to Botswana’s government and the families of the victims.
