Forty-five Christians are dead and a young girl seriously injured after a bus crashed off a cliff in South Africa en route to an Easter church service.
The bus crash reportedly took place in Limpopo, the northernmost province of South Africa, and occurred after the vehicle veered off a cliff and burst into flames upon hitting the ground. According to various reports, the lone survivor of the accident was an 8-year-old girl who was now receiving medical attention at a nearby hospital.
The group was reportedly from Botswana and headed to Moria, South Africa, for Easter church services as Christians around the world prepare to commemorate the resurrection.
“I am sending my heartfelt condolences to the families affected by the tragic bus crash near Mamatlakala,” said South African Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga. “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.”
The South African Police Service and Limpopo Accident Response Team responded to the crash.
“It is alleged that the driver lost control, colliding with barriers on the bridge causing the bus to go over the bridge and hitting the ground, where it caught fire,” the South African Transportation Ministry said in a statement. “The Minister assures the public that the precise cause of the crash is under thorough investigation.”
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The Limpopo Department of Transportation said in a post on Facebook that the truck had a Botswana license plate and that both South Africa and Botswana would be working to verify the citizenship of the victims of the crash.
“According to reports, the driver lost control, and the bus fell onto a rocky surface, some 50-metres under the bridge and caught fire,” the department said. “Rescue operations continued until the late hours of Thursday evening, as some bodies were burned beyond recognition, others trapped inside the debris and others scattered on the scene.”
Photos posted online showed Florence Radzilani, a member of the Executive Council for Transport and Community Safety for Limpopo, visiting the site of the disaster alongside police.