An 8-year-old woman was the sole survivor after a bus full of pilgrims on their way to a popular Easter festival in the South African countryside crashed into a bridge over a mountain pass and plunged into a ravine before bursting into flames, killing all 45 people. . others on board.
It’s a tragic reminder of how deadly South Africa’s roads become in the Easter period, when millions of people cross the country over the long bank holiday weekend. Authorities have continually warned motorists about the danger and issued several messages urging caution just a day before Thursday’s horrific crash. .
The woman survived after the bus carrying worshippers from neighboring Botswana left the bridge, fell more than 50 meters and burst into flames when it hit rocks below, the government said.
The woman is in good condition at the hospital after being admitted with serious injuries and “in good hands,” an official with the local fitness section said Friday. No details of his injuries were disclosed.
Forensic investigators recovered what they believed to be 34 of the forty-five bodies, but they may not be sure of the exact number, reflecting the horrific nature of the crash. Many of the victims trapped inside the bus were burned beyond recognition, the government said.
In this symbol from a video provided via eNCA, a bus carrying worshippers heading to an Easter festival fell off a bridge over a mountain pass and caught fire in Limpopo, South Africa, on Thursday, March 28, 2024, killing several people, according to authorities. (eNCA AP)
Dr Phophi Ramathuba, head of Limpopo’s provincial fitness department, said it was most likely that only nine of the bodies recovered were identifiable.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the victims, who appeared to be from Botswana, were on their way to the rustic town of Moria in Limpopo province for the Easter weekend pilgrimage that draws thousands of worshippers from the Christian Church of Zion.
The church is based in Moria and this is the first time a full pilgrimage has been held since the COVID-19 pandemic. Worshippers flocked to the small town, which features a giant star, the emblem of the church, and the words “Zion City Moria” painted on it. white on the aspect of a hill.
The Church was established in South Africa in the early 20th century as a Christian denomination that also maintains some African traditions. He has around seven million followers in the Southern Africa region.
Ramathuba said the South African government had asked Botswana’s devout leaders to come and identify the victims.
Good Friday and Easter Monday are national holidays in South Africa and many of its neighbors, where millions of people travel from, to and throughout the country. For some South Africans, it’s a chance to return to their hometowns and cities after racing in The City. Immigrants also return to their home countries to see their families. Some, like the pilgrims who died Thursday, are making devout trips.
The road can be dangerous; South Africa’s traffic control company reported that another 252 people died from injuries on the road between Maundy Thursday and Easter Monday last year.
Authorities said it gave the impression that the bus driver lost and the vehicle crashed into barriers along the bridge and then crossed the edge. The driver was among the dead.
South Africa’s Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga was in Limpopo province to attend a road protection crusade when she reported the “devastating news” of the accident, according to the national Ministry of Traffic.
Ramathuba said he was attending an Easter prayer assembly when he called the site of the twist of fate on the Mmamatlakala Bridge near the town of Mokopane, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of the South African capital, Pretoria.
“I went to the crash site, but now, as the Ministry of Health, we are focusing on the brave little survivor. She is in good hands in a hospital and experts are taking care of her,” Ramathuba told reporters. He declined to give details about the boy’s injuries, but the government released a photo of the boy lying in a hospital bed and being examined by a doctor.
Ramathuba also declined to say whether the boy’s parents or other relatives were on board the bus, saying the government needed time to locate and inform the families of the dead, who were usually in Botswana.
Meanwhile, forensic investigators searched for the remains among rocks and steep cliffs. At least 11 bodies are believed to still be inside what was left of the charred bus, which was nearly crushed.
“We were there,” said local resident Simone Mayema, who said she was one of the first to arrive after the crash. “We tried to help (but) we couldn’t do anything because there were flames. “
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