JOHANNESBURG, South Africa: At least 45 people were killed after a passenger bus plunged off a bridge into a ravine in South Africa on Thursday, the transport ministry said.
The vehicle was heading from Botswana to Moria in the north of the country. One person was also seriously injured in the crash, according to a statement issued by the ministry.
An eight-year-old child remained the sole survivor in the crash and had been shifted to hospital with serious injuries.
The statement alleged that the driver lost control of the vehicle and it collided with barriers on the bridge causing the bus to go over the bridge and hitting the ground, where it caught fire.
Rescue operations had continued till late with some bodies charred beyond recognition. Some of the bodies were trapped inside the debris or scattered over the crash scene.
The local authorities said that the bus had a Botswana licence plate but the nationalities of the passengers could not be determined yet.
Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga arrived on the crash scene and promised a full inquiry into its cause.
Though South Africa has one of the Africa’s most developed road networks but it suffers from one of the worst safety records.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, just several hours before the crash, appealed to nation to take care when travelling during the Easter week.
The bus fell from a major bridge linking two hillsides in Limpopo province, around 300 kilometres north of Johannesburg.
