A bus crash that occurred in South Africa today tragically killed 45 of the 46 people were on board the vehicle at the time of the crash, reports are claiming. The bus careened over the side of an overpass and crashed, turning the bus into a pile of burning wreckage.
The bus reportedly fell an astounding 165 feet before eventually crashing into the ground. The only survivor of the crash is reportedly an 8-year-old boy who is currently receiving medical attention.
See video of the horrific wreckage that killed 45 people in South Africa courtesy of NBC News in the clip below,
BBC reports on the horrific crash,
The passengers were pilgrims travelling from Botswana’s capital Gaborone to an Easter service in the town of Moria.
The vehicle lost control and went off a bridge on the Mmamatlakala mountain pass between Mokopane and Marken, around 300km (190 miles) north of Johannesburg, according to South African public broadcaster SABC.
Rescue operations went on late into Thursday evening, with some of those killed reportedly hard to reach amid the debris.
Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga, who went to the scene of the incident, extended her “heartfelt condolences to the families affected by the tragic bus crash”.
She said the South African government would help repatriate the bodies and hold a full inquiry into the cause of the crash.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time,” she added. “We continue to urge responsible driving at all times with heightened alertness as more people are on our roads this Easter weekend.”
South Africa has a poor road safety record.
In an Easter message released earlier in the day, President Cyril Ramaphosa urged citizens to “do our best to make this a safe Easter”.
It should “not be a time where we sit back and wait to see statistics on tragedy or injuries on our roads”, he added.
BBC