Accident in South Africa

Bus fell from bridge: Only girl (8) survived

(Bild: AP)

A group of pilgrims wanted to travel from Botswana to the town of Moria in South Africa on Thursday to celebrate Easter. However, their bus fell off a bridge, killing 45 people. Only an eight-year-old girl survived.

As the bus was crossing a bridge, the driver apparently lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the safety barriers, according to the Ministry of Transport. The vehicle was then thrown over the bridge and plunged 50 meters into the depths. After hitting the bottom of the gorge, the bus caught fire.

Girl survived seriously injured
The eight-year-old child who survived was taken to hospital with serious injuries, according to the local transport authority. The accident occurred in the Limpopo province in the north of South Africa, around 300 kilometers north of Johannesburg.

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On Thursday evening, the recovery of the bodies was still underway. Many people were burnt beyond recognition and were difficult to reach among the wreckage of the crashed bus.

South Africa's Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga declared at the scene of the accident that the bodies would be returned to their home country and promised a comprehensive investigation into the accident. According to the authorities, the victims were pilgrims traveling from the Botswana capital of Gaborone to Moria, where a popular Easter festival takes place.

Call for caution on the roads
"We continue to ask for responsible driving and increased vigilance as there are more people on our roads this Easter weekend," the minister explained. A few hours before the accident, President Cyril Ramaphosa had already called for caution on the roads during the festive season. Easter should "not be a time where we sit back and wait until we see statistics on tragedies and accidents on our roads".

South Africa has one of the best developed road networks in Africa. However, road safety in the country is poor.