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8-year-old is the only survivor after bus plunges off cliff in South Africa, killing 45 people

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.

The only survivor of the crash was an 8-year-old child, who was receiving medical attention, according to authorities in the northern province of Limpopo.

The Limpopo provincial government said the bus veered off the Mmamatlakala bridge and plunged 164 feet into a ravine before busting into flames.

Search operations were ongoing, the provincial government said, but many bodies were burned beyond recognition and still trapped inside the vehicle.

Authorities said they believe the bus was traveling from the neighboring country of Botswana to the town of Moria, which hosts a popular Easter pilgrimage.

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Bus in South Africa plunges off bridge and catches fire, killing 45 people

A bus in South Africa plunged off a bridge and fell more than 150 feet Thursday, killing 45 people, officials said. Only one passenger, an 8-year-old girl, survived the crash.

The bus was traveling from Botswana to an annual Easter festival at a church in Moria, in South Africa’s northern province of Limpopo.

The driver of the bus reportedly lost control while driving over the bridge, colliding with barriers before falling about 50 meters onto a rocky surface, Limpopo’s Department of Transport and Community Safety said.

Rescue workers at the scene of the bus crash Mamatlakala, South Africa, on March 28, 2024.

Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety

Rescue operations continued late Thursday. Some bodies were burned beyond recognition, while others were trapped inside the vehicle’s debris, the department said.

A department spokesperson told CBS News that the 8-year-old survivor is a girl. She was being treated at a nearby hospital, though the department did not provide further details about her condition.

Rescue workers told local media that the bus was pulling a trailer, adding additional weight to the vehicle as it crossed the bridge.

“I am sending my heartfelt condolences to the families affected by the tragic bus crash near Mamatlakala,” Sindisiwe Chikunga, South Africa’s Minister of Transport, said at the crash scene. “We continue to urge responsible driving at all times with heightened alertness as more people are on our roads this Easter weekend.”

—Sarah Carter contributed reporting.

S. Dev

S. Dev is a news editor for CBSNews.com.

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A bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. 8-year-old child is only survivor

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.

The only survivor of the crash was an 8-year-old child, who was receiving medical attention, according to authorities in the northern province of Limpopo.

The Limpopo provincial government said the bus veered off the Mmamatlakala bridge and plunged 50 meters (164 feet) into a ravine before busting into flames.

Search operations were ongoing, the provincial government said, but many bodies were burned beyond recognition and still trapped inside the vehicle.

Authorities said they believe the bus was traveling from the neighboring country of Botswana to the town of Moria, which hosts a popular Easter pilgrimage.

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AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

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Minibus plunges down Morocco ravine killing 24

A minibus in Morocco — Road accidents killed an average of eight people a day in Morocco in 2020 (file image)

Twenty-four people have died in Morocco after the minibus they were travelling in plunged down a ravine in a mountainous area, authorities say.

The bus was taking people to market in central Morocco, when it overturned on a bend, local media say.

The cause of the accident on the road to the town of Demnate, at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, is unknown.

It is reported to be one of the country’s deadliest accidents. Morocco has a poor road-safety record.

A picture of the aftermath shows a battered vehicle on its side at the bottom of a slope.

“All the passengers are dead,” Youssef Makhloufi, director of the Demnate hospital, is quoted by the AFP news agency as telling Moroccan public broadcaster 2M.

Two women and a child were among the victims, 2M said.

In 2020, an average of eight people a day died on Morocco’s roads, according to the International Transport Forum.

In March this year, 11 people died when their vehicle hit a tree in a rural part of Morocco. A year ago 23 people died when the bus they were in overturned on a bend east of Casablanca, AFP reports.

In 2020, Morocco established the National Road Safety Agency to co-ordinate its road-safety strategy.

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