“The accident, which involved a bus that apparently was transporting passengers from Botswana to Moria (in the north), caused at least 45 deaths and one serious injury”, reads the Ministry’s statement. “The driver lost control of the vehicle, colliding with the bridge’s safety barriers. The bus went over it and crashed, catching fire”, details the note.
The bus carried a total of 46 passengers, including the driver, and only one person, an eight-year-old girl, survived the accident and was taken to a hospital, according to another statement from the province’s Department of Transport. “Some bodies are unrecognizable due to burns, others are trapped under the rubble and still others are scattered around the site,” according to the department, which adds that recovery operations are ongoing.
The accident occurred on a suspension bridge between two hills near Mmamatlakala, in the northern province of Limpopo, more than 300 kilometers from Johannesburg.
The bus had Botswana registration plates, according to local authorities, and the nationality of the passengers has not yet been confirmed.
Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga, who visited the scene during the day, promised a thorough investigation into the causes of the accident.
South Africa has one of the most developed road networks on the continent, but is one of the worst performing countries when it comes to road safety.
Earlier in the day, President Cyril Ramaphosa called on South Africans to “do everything in their power to ensure Easter is a safe holiday”. “Easter should not be a time when we wait for statistics about tragedies or injuries on our roads,” he said in a statement made hours before the accident.
Tags: Bus falls bridge kills people South Africa Eightyearold girl survivor
