Bus plunges off bridge in South Africa, killing everyone except an 8-year-old child

Investigators are examining the ruins of a bus carrying worshippers from Botswana that plunged 50 meters off a bridge in South Africa, ITV News' Graham Stothard reports

A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.

The only survivor of the crash was an eight-year-old child, who was receiving medical attention, according to authorities in the northern province of Limpopo. They said the child was seriously injured.

Forensic investigators in South Africa were searching for the bodies of victims on Friday in a mountainous region near the town of Mokopane, about 125 miles north of South Africa's capital, Pretoria.

Investigators worked through the wreckage, but while some bodies had been recovered, others were believed to be still inside what was left of the charred bus, which was almost crushed flat.

The passengers were understood to have travelled from neighbouring Botswana. Credit: AP

The Limpopo provincial government said the bus veered off the Mmamatlakala bridge and plunged 50 meters (164 feet) into a ravine before busting into flames.

Authorities said they believe the bus was traveling from the neighbouring country of Botswana to the town of Moria, which hosts a popular Easter pilgrimage. They said it appeared that the driver lost control and was one of the dead.

Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga was in Limpopo province for a road safety campaign and changed plans to visit the crash scene, the national Department of Transport said.

The driver is believed to have lost of control before the bus fell off the bridge. Credit: AP

She said there was an investigation underway into the cause of the crash and offered her condolences to the families of the victims.

The South African government often warns of the danger of road accidents during the Easter holidays, which is a particularly busy and dangerous time for road travel. More than 200 people died in road crashes during the Easter weekend last year.

The Zionist Christian Church has its headquarters in Moria and its Easter pilgrimage attracts hundreds of thousands of people from across South Africa and neighboring countries. This year is the first time the Easter pilgrimage to Moria is set to go ahead since the COVID-19 pandemic.

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