South Africa: Tragic bus crash killed 45 people, 8-year-old boy only survivor left

• A bus carrying worshippers to an Easter festival in South Africa crashed off a bridge, causing at least 45 deaths.
• The bus, carrying worshippers, was traveling from Botswana to Moria, a popular Easter pilgrimage site.
• The driver lost control and was among the deceased.

In South Africa on Thursday, a bus carrying worshippers en route to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames, claiming the lives of at least 45 people, authorities reported. According to officials in the northern province of Limpopo, an 8-year-old child, the sole survivor of the crash, was receiving medical attention. They indicated that the child sustained serious injuries.

The Limpopo provincial government reported that the bus had veered off the Mmamatlakala bridge, plunging 50 meters (164 feet) into a ravine before bursting into flames. They stated that search operations were ongoing, but many bodies were burned beyond recognition and remained trapped inside the vehicle.

Authorities stated they believed the bus was traveling from the neighboring country of Botswana to the town of Moria, which hosts a popular Easter pilgrimage. They indicated that it appeared the driver lost control and was among the deceased. Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga, who was in Limpopo province for a road safety campaign, altered her plans to visit the crash scene, as stated by the National Department of Transport. She mentioned that an investigation into the cause of the crash was underway and extended her condolences to the families of the victims.

The South African government frequently cautions about the peril of road accidents during the Easter holidays, which constitute a notably busy and hazardous period for road travel. Road crashes claimed the lives of over 200 people during the Easter weekend last year. The Zionist Christian Church, headquartered in Moria, draws hundreds of thousands of people from across South Africa and neighboring countries to its Easter pilgrimage. This year marks the first time the Easter pilgrimage to Moria is scheduled to proceed since the COVID-19 pandemic.

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