Horror scenes as bus carrying 45 people falls off cliff

A bus veered off a bridge into a ravine, catching fire and resulting in the deaths of 45 out of 46 passengers.

Warning: Graphic

A bus veered off a bridge into a ravine, catching fire and resulting in the deaths of 45 out of 46 passengers in South Africa on Thursday.

According to the transport ministry, an eight-year-old girl was the sole survivor but sustained serious injuries.

The incident occurred near Mmamatlakala in Limpopo province, around 300 kilometres north of Johannesburg.

The bus, travelling from Botswana to Moria in northern South Africa, reportedly lost control, collided with barriers on the bridge, and plunged over the edge before catching fire upon impact.

A ministry statement stated: “It is alleged that the driver lost control, colliding with barriers on the bridge, causing the bus to go over the bridge and hit the ground, where it caught fire.”

Rescue operations continued late into the night, complicated by the condition of the bodies and wreckage.

A bus plunged off a bridge into a ravine and caught fire on Thursday in South Africa, killing 45 of the 46 people on board, the transport ministry said. Picture: X

An eight-year-old child is the sole survivor but has sustained serious injuries. Picture: X

Some bodies were burned beyond recognition, and others trapped inside the debris or scattered over the crash scene, the statement noted

While the bus had a Botswana license plate, authorities were still confirming the nationalities of the passengers.

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga visited the crash site and pledged a thorough investigation into the incident.

She assured: “A full inquiry would be held into its cause.”

Just hours before the accident, President Cyril Ramaphosa had urged caution during Easter holiday travel.

“Let’s do our best to make this a safe Easter. Easter does not have to be a time where we sit back and wait to see statistics on tragedy or injuries on our roads,” he said.

More to come...