A bus crashed off a bridge, fell into a ravine and burst into flames in northern South Africa, killing 45 of the 46 people on board.
The only survivor was an 8-month-old baby. However, the victim was seriously injured and was transferred to the hospital, the South African Ministry of Transport said on March 28.
The car had an accident while traveling from neighboring Botswana to the city of Moria in northern South Africa. The car fell from a large bridge connecting two mountain slopes in Limpopo province, about 300 km from Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city.
The bus crashed off the bridge and fell into a ravine in Limpopo province, northern South Africa, March 28. Image: Limpopo Department of Transport
"The driver is believed to have lost control, collided with a barrier on the bridge, causing the bus to plunge into a ravine and catch fire," the ministry said.
Rescue operations continued late into the night with some bodies burned beyond recognition, others trapped in vehicles and scattered throughout the accident scene.
According to local authorities, the bus had a Botswana license plate but the nationality of the passengers was being checked.
Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga visited the scene of the accident and pledged to conduct a full investigation into the cause of the incident.
Scene of a bus accident in northern South Africa on March 28. Video: Guardian
Just hours before the accident, President Cyril Ramaphosa urged South Africans to be careful when traveling during Easter week.
“Let us do our best to make Easter safe. Easter should not be a time when we sit back and wait to see statistics about tragedies or casualties on the roads,” he said.
Vu Hoang (Follow AFP, Reuters)
