Horror bus crash leaves 45 dead with girl, eight, as the sole survivor after South African coach plunged off a bridge into a ravine before bursting into flames

A horrific bus accident in South Africa has left 45 dead and only one survivor, an eight-year-old girl, who is being treated in hospital.

The bus plunged into a ravine after the driver lost control and collided with barriers on a bridge in the northeastern province of Limpopo, the Transport Ministry said.

It reportedly landed on a rocky surface about 50 meters below the bridge, known as Mamatlakala Pass, before bursting into flames.

The passenger bus was transporting pilgrims from Botswana, a country in southern Africa, to Moria, a town in Limpopo, for an Easter weekend church service.

Rescue operations continued well into the afternoon, when some bodies were burned beyond recognition, others were trapped in the rubble and scattered around the scene, the Limpopo Department of Transport said.

The bus had a Botswana license plate, local authorities said, but the nationalities of the passengers were still being checked.

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga, who visited the accident site, sent her condolences to the bereaved families and the Botswana government.

‘I send my deepest condolences to the families affected by the tragic bus accident near Mamatlakala. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time. “With increased alertness, we continue to urge responsible driving at all times as there are more people on our roads this Easter weekend,” Chikunga said.

The minister added that the causes of the accident are being investigated.

The accident occurred on the main bridge linking two hillsides near Mmamatlakala, about 300 kilometers from Johannesburg.

While South Africa has one of the most developed road networks on the African continent, it also suffers from one of the worst safety records.

Just hours before the crash, President Cyril Ramaphosa appealed to South Africans to be careful when traveling over Easter.

‘Let’s do everything we can to make this a safe Easter. “Easter doesn’t have to be a time when we sit back and wait to see statistics about tragedies or injuries on our roads,” he said in a statement.

Last year there were reportedly 252 deaths in accidents during the country’s four-day Easter weekend.