8-Year-Old Is Sole Survivor of Fatal Bus Plunge in S. Africa

The tragedy killed at least 45 people
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Mar 29, 2024 1:30 AM CDT
8-Year-Old Is Sole Survivor of Fatal Bus Plunge in S. Africa
In this image taken from video provided by eNCA, a bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in Limpopo, South Africa, on Thursday, March 28, 2024, killing multiple people, authorities said.   (eNCA via AP)

A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said. The only survivor of the crash was an 8-year-old child, who was receiving medical attention, according to authorities in the northern province of Limpopo. They said the child was seriously injured, the AP reports. The Limpopo provincial government said the bus veered off the Mmamatlakala bridge and plunged 164 feet into a ravine before busting into flames. Search operations were ongoing, the provincial government said, but many bodies were burned beyond recognition and still trapped inside the vehicle.

Authorities said they believe the bus was traveling from the neighboring country of Botswana to the town of Moria, which hosts a popular Easter pilgrimage. They said it appeared that the driver lost control and was one of the dead. Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga was in Limpopo province for a road safety campaign and changed plans to visit the crash scene, the national Department of Transport said. She said there was an investigation underway into the cause of the crash and offered her condolences to the families of the victims. The South African government often warns of the danger of road accidents during the Easter holidays, which is a particularly busy and dangerous time for road travel.

(More South Africa stories.)

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