Friday, March 29, 2024 – Dozens of worshippers died after a bus headed to an Easter conference plunged off a cliff in South Africa’s Limpopo province on Thursday, March 28.
The crash claimed the lives of 45 people and one is
seriously injured, the country’s transport department said in a statement.
The sole survivor is an eight-year-old girl who has been
airlifted to hospital, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC)
reported
According to the SABC, the passengers were pilgrims
traveling from Gaborone – the capital city of neighboring country Botswana – to
a church for an Easter conference.
The crash happened in the Mamatlakala mountain pass between
Mokopane and Marken.
The bus reportedly caught fire after falling.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
In a statement, the province’s transport department said
that “according to reports, the driver lost control and the bus fell onto a
rocky surface, some 50 meters under the bridge and caught fire.”
Efforts are ongoing to recover the bodies of the passengers
who were killed, according to the statement.
“Some bodies burned beyond recognition,” the local
department said.
Others are “trapped inside the debris and others [are]
scattered on the scene,” it added.
South African Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga said the
government would repatriate the bodies to Botswana.
“I am sending my heartfelt condolences to the families
affected by the tragic bus crash near Mamatlakala. 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,” Chikunga said in a statement.
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