45 people killed in bus crash in South Africa – girl, 8, the sole survivor

More than 40 people have died after a bus veered off a bridge in South Africa and crashed down onto rocks some 50 metres below.

Pic: Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety

The bus, which had a Botswanan registration plate, had a total of 46 people on board, including the driver.

Only one child, an eight-year-old girl, survived the crash and is being treated in hospital.

In a statement, the transport ministry said the driver lost control of the vehicle while going a round bend.

The bus caught fire after the crash near Mamatlakala in the northeast province of Limpopo.

The passenger bus was transporting people from Botswana, who were reportedly travelling to Moria in Limpopo for an Easter weekend church service.

Rescue operations continued until the late hours of Thursday evening. Some bodies were burned beyond recognition and others were trapped inside the debris.

The scene after the bus crash. Pic: Heidi Giokos

Sky’s Africa correspondent Yousra Elbagir has said accidents like this are not uncommon over the Easter period in South Africa – with 252 people killed in crashes over the four-day weekend in the country last year.

The scene on the bridge after the crash. Pic: Heidi Giokos