At least 45 people killed after bus plunges into South Africa ravine
Al Jazeera
An eight-year-old girl survived and was airlifted to hospital in serious condition.
A bus has plunged off a bridge into a ravine in South Africa, killing 45 of the 46 passengers on board, according to the Department of Transport.
The only survivor, an eight-year-old girl, was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after the crash on Thursday.
Authorities said the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed through the barriers on a bridge in a mountainous area near Mamatlakala, 300 kilometres (190 miles) north of Johannesburg. The bus plunged 50 metres (164 feet) into a ravine before bursting into flames.
The bus was on its way from neighbouring Botswana to Moria, a town in northern Limpopo province that holds a popular Easter festival. Easter Sunday falls on March 31 this year.
Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga travelled to the scene of the crash and promised a full inquiry.