45 people killed in bus accident in South Africa, but 8 year old child survived
A bus carrying 46 people heading for an Easter weekend pilgrimage in South Africa on Thursday plunged 165 feet off a bridge into a ravine and burst into flames, with an 8-year-old girl the only survivor, according to local authorities. Was. transportation.
The bus was traveling from Botswana to Moria, a religious pilgrimage site in the north-east of South Africa, when the driver lost control, causing it to slide off a bridge passing through the Mmatlakala mountain pass, the department said in a statement.
Forty-five people including the driver were killed.
The transport department of Limpopo province in South Africa said the girl was receiving medical attention at a nearby hospital a statement, According to another government statement, the child’s condition was critical.
“Rescue operations continued till late Thursday evening as some bodies were burnt beyond recognition, others were trapped under debris and others were scattered at the site,” the transport department said.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called his counterpart in Botswana, President Mokgweetsi Masisi, to offer condolences, the presidency said in a statement late Thursday.
The accident occurred about three and a half hours north of Johannesburg in a beautiful, mountainous area with winding roads and expansive views. At a high overpass the road descended steeply over a ravine with rocky, tree-covered slopes on either side.
The area attracts much traffic on Easter weekend for pilgrimages to Moria, the headquarters of Zion Christian Church, one of the largest churches in the country. Mr Ramaphosa visited last year’s pilgrimage, his first since the Covid-19 pandemic. South African border officials had said they were preparing for an influx of visitors for this year’s pilgrimage.
The nationalities of the victims have not yet been determined.
The tragedy occurred as South Africans were preparing for a four-day weekend with public holidays on Friday and Monday.
Around major holidays, South African authorities often take additional measures such as police blockades and publicity campaigns to help prevent traffic accidents. On Wednesday, South Africa’s Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga launched an Easter road-safety campaign, noting that traffic accidents often increase during the holiday.
“Easter is a time of celebration, but it is also a time when roads can become more dangerous due to increased traffic and holiday celebrations,” the ministry warned.
According to World Bank and World Health Organization data, Africa has historically had the highest road-death rates in the world.
There were more than 12,400 road deaths in South Africa in 2022, the most recent year for which figures are available. The Automobile Association of South Africa called traffic deaths a “national crisis” in a statement issued last year. The association argued that the government needed to invest more in road safety and better enforce traffic laws.
“Until these two issues are tackled, the poor road safety situation of our country will never improve,” it said.
Russell Goldman Contributed reporting from New York.