South Africa bus crash kills dozens headed to Easter service

Forty-five people died in the crash, which took place in the Northeast corner of South Africa, according to a statement by the South African Department of Transportation. One individual survived with serious injuries. The driver allegedly lost control of the bus, collided with barriers on the bridge, and went over the side of the bridge near Mamatlakala in the province of Limpopo, according to the government’s statement. The bus caught fire after hitting the ground below the bridge. Government officials said the exact cause of the crash is still under investigation.

Where was the group traveling? The 46 passengers on the bus had been headed to the town of Moria for a church service this weekend when the crash occurred, according to a later statement by Limpopo’s Department of Transport and Community Safety. That report also clarified that the bridge was 50 meters above the ground, where the bus ultimately landed and caught fire. It added that only one child, an 8-year-old girl, survived the crash. She has been receiving care at a nearby hospital.

Dig deeper: Read Travis Kircher’s report in The Sift from last month about nearly a dozen missionary students and staff dying in a bus crash in Tanzania.