Almost all the passengers on a bus, around 45 people, died on Thursday in South Africa in a serious traffic accident: the vehicle fell about fifty meters from the top of a bridge before crashing, crushed at the bottom of a ravine.
“The accident, which affected a bus apparently transporting passengers from Botswana to Moria (north), left at least 45 dead and one seriously injured,” the Ministry of Transport announced in a press release.
“The driver apparently lost control of his vehicle, hitting the bridge’s safety barriers. The bus went over the bridge and fell to the ground, where it caught fire,” the ministry said.
Eight-year-old boy survives fall
A total of 46 passengers were traveling on the bus, including the driver. Only one person, an eight-year-old boy, survived the accident, according to the provincial Department of Transportation. He was taken to the hospital.
“Some bodies have been burned beyond recognition, others are trapped under rubble and still others are scattered around the site,” the department said in a statement, adding that rescue operations continued late into the night.
The accident occurred on a huge suspension bridge between two hills near Mmamatlakala, in the province of Limpopo (northern), more than 300 kilometers from Johannesburg.
The bus had a Botswana license plate, according to local authorities. The nationality of the passengers has not yet been confirmed.
South Africa, a bad student in road safety
Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga, who visited the scene during the day, promised a thorough investigation into the causes of the accident.
South Africa has one of the most developed road networks on the continent, but is among the worst performers in terms of road safety.
Hours earlier, President Cyril Ramaphosa called on South Africans to “do everything possible to ensure that Easter celebrations are safe.”
“Easter should not be a period in which we expect statistics of tragedies or injuries on our roads,” he urged in a press release just hours before the accident.
Source: BFM TV
