AT LEAST 45 PEOPLE KILLED AND GIRL, 8, ONLY SURVIVOR AFTER SOUTH AFRICA’S BUS CRASH

Fri 29 March 2024:

45 of the 46 people on board a bus died when it fell off a bridge and into a ravine in South Africa, according to the Department of Transport.

Following the crash on Thursday, the lone survivor, an eight-year-old girl, was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.

About 300 kilometers (190 miles) north of Johannesburg, on a mountainous area close to Mamatlakala, the driver lost control of the vehicle and smashed through the barriers on a bridge, according to the authorities. The bus exploded into flames after plunging 50 meters (164 feet) into a ravine.

The bus was on its way from neighbouring Botswana to Moria, a town in northern Limpopo province that holds a popular Easter festival. Easter Sunday falls on March 31 this year.

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga travelled to the scene of the crash and promised a full inquiry.

“We want really to extend our heartfelt condolences to the families but also to the government of Botswana and to the people of Botswana, and as South Africa, we will try everything to assist so that they go back to their country and families to be buried with dignity,” she was quoted as saying by national broadcaster SABC.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa sent his condolences to Botswana and promised support, his office said in a statement.

Search operations were continuing at the site, but many bodies were burned beyond recognition and were still trapped inside the vehicle.

While South Africa has one of the African continent’s most developed road networks, it also has one of the worst safety records.

A few hours before the crash, Ramaphosa had appealed to South Africans to take care when travelling during the Easter holidays.