8-year-old lone survivor among 45 dead in South Africa bus crash

March 28 (UPI) -- An 8-year-old child is the lone survivor of a bus crash in South Africa that killed 45 worshippers on their way to an Easter festival on Thursday when the driver apparently lost control, according to local authorities.

The Limpopo provincial government said the bus veered off a bridge near Mmamatlakala and plunged 164 feet into a ravine before bursting into flames. The child was seriously injured and was reportedly receiving medical attention at a nearby hospital, according to local officials.

While a recovery mission is ongoing, many of the bodies were burned beyond recognition and trapped inside the vehicle, authorities said.

The bus was traveling from the neighboring country of Botswana to the town of Moria, which hosts a popular Easter pilgrimage, according to local authorities. They said it appeared that the driver lost control of the vehicle and was among the dead.

Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga was in Limpopo province for a road safety campaign but changed plans to visit the crash scene, the national Department of Transport said. She said there was an investigation underway into the cause of the crash and offered her condolences to the families of the victims.

Limpopo MEC for Transport and Community Safety Florence Radzilani, also at the road safety event, was encouraging motorists to drive safely during the long Easter weekend near the time that the bus crash occurred and visited the scene of the crash.

The South African government often warns of the danger of accidents during the Easter holidays, which is an especially dangerous time for road travel in that part of the country. Last year, more than 200 people died in road crashes during the Easter weekend.

The Zionist Christian Church is headquartered in Moria and its Easter pilgrimage attracts hundreds of thousands of people from across South Africa and neighboring countries. This year is the first year the Easter pilgrimage to Moria is set to go ahead since the COVID-19 pandemic.