A major bus crash killed 45 people who were on their way to an Easter conference at the Zion Christian Church in South Africa on Thursday. The bus reportedly fell roughly 164 feet before crashing after swerving off a bridge.
According to CNN, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) reported that the passengers were traveling from Gaborone, Botswana, to the Zion Christian Church for an Easter conference in the South African town of Moria. The crash killed 45 of the passengers, leaving only one survivor. The outlet reported that the survivor was an eight-year-old girl, who was airlifted to a hospital with serious injuries from the accident.
Fox News reported that the Limpopo provincial government in South Africa said the passenger bus swerved off the side of the Mmamatlakala Bridge, falling about 164 feet into a ravine before erupting in flames.
Pictures posted on X, formerly Twitter, show the remains of the bus following Thursday’s crash.
In a statement obtained by CNN, the Limpopo Transport Department said that reports indicated that “the driver lost control and the bus fell onto a rocky surface, some 50 meters under the bridge and caught fire.” The department also explained that officials were working to recover the bodies of the passengers who were killed in Thursday’s accident.
READ MORE: Video: Heroic construction workers saved lives before major bridge collapse
A video shared by Reuters shows the aftermath of Thursday’s bush crash, with officials responding at the scene of the accident.
“Some bodies burned beyond recognition,” the department said, adding that others were “trapped inside the debris and others [are] scattered on the scene.”
Following Thursday’s tragic bus crash, Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga expressed her “heartfelt condolences” to the families of the victims.
“I am sending my heartfelt condolences to the families affected by the tragic bus crash near Mamatlakala. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time,” Chikunga said. “We continue to urge responsible driving at all times with heightened alertness as more people are on our roads this Easter weekend.”
According to Fox News, the Easter holiday is typically a very busy time for travel in South Africa. Additionally, the outlet noted that over 200 people were killed in vehicle crashes last year during the easter weekend.
