As of: March 28, 2024, 10:19 p.m
By: Julian Mayr
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A tragic bus accident occurred in South Africa on Maundy Thursday (March 28): 45 people died, only one little girl is said to have survived the accident. (Symbolic image) © Achim Prill/IMAGO/Zoonar.com
45 people died in a bus accident in northeastern South Africa on Thursday. Only a little girl is said to have survived the accident.
Limpopo - Only one day had passed after the tragic Flixbus accident on the A9 near Leipzig with at least four deaths. A fatal bus accident also occurred in South Africa on Thursday (March 28). At least 45 people are said to have died in Limpopo province and one person survived the accident with serious injuries, the South African Ministry of Transport said. It is said to be an 8-year-old girl.
Were on the way to Easter mass: 45 people die in a bus accident in South Africa
According to initial findings, the driver lost control of the bus, crashed into the safety barriers of a bridge near Mmamatlakala, in the northeast of the country, and then fell into a ravine. The vehicle is said to have burst into flames.
The exact cause of the accident is still being determined. The bus was on its way from Botswana to Moria in South Africa. The town of Moria in Limpopo Province is known as a place of pilgrimage for Christians and a popular destination over the Easter holidays. As
BBC
reports, there are said to have been passengers on the bus who were traveling from Botswana's capital Gaborone to an Easter service in Moria.
According to authorities, the nationality of the inmates was still being checked, reports
AFP
. The only survivor is an eight-year-old child who was taken to hospital, according to the local transport authority. Just last week, South Africa's Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga launched an Easter campaign for more road safety. Accidents occur more often, especially around the holidays, due to more traffic and risky driving behavior.
In the fall of 2023, a bus crashed in Italy, killing more than 21 people, including three Germans. (afp/dpa/jm)