45 Die as Bus Carrying Easter Worshippers Plunges Off Cliff in South Africa

A bus transporting Easter worshippers careened off a cliff in South Africa’s Limpopo province, resulting in the loss of 45 lives, with one individual sustaining serious injuries. The tragic incident unfolded on Thursday in the Mamatlakala mountain pass between Mokopane and Marken, as reported by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).

According to authorities from the country’s transport department, the passengers, predominantly pilgrims from Gaborone, Botswana’s capital, were en route to a church for an Easter conference when the catastrophe occurred. An eight-year-old survivor has been airlifted to a nearby hospital for urgent medical attention.

The bus, engulfed in flames upon impact, left a harrowing scene in its wake, prompting an immediate investigation into the cause of the accident. The province’s transport department revealed that preliminary findings suggest the driver lost control, leading to the bus hurtling off the road and plummeting approximately 50 meters below the bridge before igniting.

Efforts are underway to retrieve the remains of those who perished in the tragedy, with reports indicating some bodies were severely burned or trapped within the wreckage. The South African Transport Minister, Sindisiwe Chikunga, expressed condolences to the affected families, assuring them of the government’s commitment to repatriating the deceased to Botswana.