The bus full of devotees first fell into the ditch… then caught fire, 45 people died, only an 8 year old child survived – Dainik Savera Times

Cape Town: A bus carrying pilgrims for Easter celebrations in South Africa on Thursday fell off a mountain pass bridge and caught fire, killing at least 45 people. Authorities in northern Limpopo province said the only survivor of the crash was an eight-year-old boy who was being treated. He has suffered serious injuries. The Limpopo provincial government said the bus fell 164 feet into a gorge below the Mamatakala Bridge and caught fire.

The provincial government said that the search operation is continuing but many of the bodies are so badly burnt that it has become difficult to identify them and they are still trapped in the bus. Authorities said they believed the bus was traveling from neighboring Botswana to the city of Moria, a popular Easter pilgrimage site. According to him, it seems that the bus driver lost control of the vehicle and he also died.

The National Transport Department said Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga was in Limpopo province for a road safety campaign and visited the accident site. He said that the cause of the accident was being ascertained and expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. The South African government frequently warns of the risk of road accidents during the Easter holidays as it is a busy and dangerous time for road travel. More than 200 people died in road accidents during the Easter weekend last year.