Bus plunges off bridge in South Africa, killing 45

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.

An eight-year-old child was the sole survivor and was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

The vehicle had been heading from neighboring Botswana to Moria in the north of the country, the ministry said in a statement

"It is alleged that the driver lost control, colliding with barriers on the bridge causing the bus to go over the bridge and hitting the ground, where it caught fire," the statement said.

Rescue operations continued till late with some bodies burned beyond recognition, and others trapped inside the debris or scattered over the crash scene.

The bus had a Botswana license plate, local authorities said, but the nationalities of the passengers were still being checked.

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga went to the scene of the crash and promised a full inquiry would be held into its cause.

"I am sending my heartfelt condolences to the families affected by the tragic bus crash near Mamatlakala. We continue to urge responsible driving at all times with heightened alertness as more people are on our roads this Easter weekend," Chikunga said.

While South Africa has one of the African continent's most developed road networks, it also suffers from one of the worst safety records.

Just several hours before the crash, President Cyril Ramaphosa appealed to South Africans to take care when traveling during the Easter week.

"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 in a statement.

The bus fell from a major bridge linking two hillsides near Mmamatlakala in Limpopo Province, around 300 kilometers north of Johannesburg.

(With input from AFP)