A bus crash in South Africa’s northern province of Limpopo resulted in 45 deaths and one serious injury, South Africa’s Department of Transport said on Thursday.
The driver lost control and collided with barriers on a bridge near Mamatlakala, causing the bus to go over the bridge and hit the ground, catching fire, according to a statement by the transport department.
The bus was taking Easter pilgrims from Botswana, a landlocked country in southern Africa, to Moria, a town in Limpopo, it added.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa sent his condolences to Botswana and pledged support to the country, his office said in a statement.
Only an eight-year-old child survived the crash and was receiving medical attention at a nearby hospital, Limpopo’s transport department said in a separate statement.
Some bodies were burned beyond recognition while others were trapped inside the debris or scattered on the scene, the provincial department said.
“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 statement said.
The bus had a Botswana licence plate, local authorities said, but the nationalities of the passengers were still being checked.
Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga went to the scene of the crash and promised a full inquiry would be held into its cause.
While South Africa has one of the African continent’s most developed road networks, it also suffers from one of the worst safety records.
Just several hours before the crash, Ramaphosa appealed to South Africans to take care when travelling during the Easter week.
“Let’s do our best to make this a safe Easter. Easter does not have to be a time where we sit back and wait to see statistics on tragedy or injuries on our roads,” the president said in a statement.
The bus fell from a major bridge linking two hillsides near Mmamatlakala in Limpopo province, around 300km (190 miles) north of Johannesburg.