All passengers on board a bus were killed in a serious road accident in South Africa on Thursday, March 28, when the vehicle plunged fifty meters from the top of a bridge and crumpled to the bottom of a ravine. “At least forty-five dead and one seriously injured in an accident involving a bus carrying passengers from Botswana to Moria (North)”Ministry of Transport said in a press release.

“The driver apparently lost control of his vehicle and hit the safety barriers on the bridge. The bus went overboard and hit the ground where it burst into flames., the ministry noted. The bus was carrying a total of 46 passengers including the driver. Only one 8-year-old child survived the accident, the provincial transport department said. He was taken to hospital.

“Some bodies have been burned beyond recognition, others are trapped in the rubble, and still others are scattered at the scene.”Rescue operations continued till evening, the department said in a statement.

Bad student in road safety

The accident happened on a large suspension bridge between two mountains near Mmamadlakala in Limpopo Province (North), about 300 kilometers from Johannesburg. According to local authorities, the bus had a Botswanan license plate. The nationality of the passengers is yet to be confirmed.

Transport Minister Lydia Sindisiwe Chikunga, who visited the scene during the day, promised a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident.

South Africa has one of the most developed road networks on the continent, but one of the worst performing countries in terms of road safety.

Earlier, President Cyril Ramaphosa called on South Africans “Do everything they can to make sure the Easter holidays are safe”. “Easter should not be a time to wait for statistics of tragedies or injuries on our roads”He ordered in a press release hours before the accident.