AP
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — A bus carrying worshipers for Easter festivities crashed off a mountain pass bridge and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
The only survivor of the accident was an eight-year-old child, who was receiving medical treatment, according to authorities in the northern Limpopo province. They said the child was seriously injured.
The Limpopo provincial government said the bus burst into flames after going off the Mmamatlakala bridge and falling 50 meters (164 feet) into a valley.
The state said a search operation was underway but many bodies were burned beyond recognition and were still trapped in vehicles.
Authorities said they believed the bus was traveling to the town of Moria, the site of a popular Easter pilgrimage in neighboring Botswana. The driver appears to have lost control and is said to be one of the fatalities.
Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga was in Limpopo province for a road safety campaign and changed her plans to visit the crash site, the ministry said. She said an investigation into the cause of the accident was ongoing and expressed condolences to the victims' families.
The South African government frequently warns of the risk of road accidents, especially during the Easter holidays, a busy and dangerous time for road travel. Last year, more than 200 people died in traffic accidents over Easter weekend.
The Zionist Christian Church is headquartered in Moria, and the Easter pilgrimage attracts hundreds of thousands of people from across South Africa and neighboring countries. This year marks the first Moriah Easter pilgrimage since the COVID-19 incident.