(Daily360.com) Tragedy struck when a bus carrying 45 people celebrating Easter in South Africa went off a bridge and caught fire. The bus was transporting passengers from the neighboring nation of Botswana when the driver reportedly lost control and the bus went over the side of the bridge. The Mma Matlakala Bride spans Mokopane and Marken within South Africa’s northern province of Limpopo which is roughly 200 miles to the north of Johannesburg.
The bus plummeted nearly 200 feet onto the rocky terrain below and caught fire. Authorities say some of the passengers’ bodies were scattered on the landscape, some were trapped in the bus, and others were burned, some beyond recognition. The only survivor was an eight-year-old girl who was described as “seriously injured” by South Africa’s Ministry of Transport. The child was taken to a nearby hospital where she continues to receive treatment.
The Transport Minister, Sindisiwe Chikunga, expressed her condolences to the families of those who died. She added that all must use extreme caution on the nation’s roads with “heightened alertness” due to the added Easter holiday traffic. She also sent South Africa’s condolences for the nation of Botswana and its people as they grieve the losses. She said her nation will assist and help their neighbor in any way necessary.
In Livingston County, Michigan, a car accident claimed the lives of three people, including a 16-year-old girl, during the early morning hours of the Easter holiday. The car was carrying five family members when the accident took place on US-23 north of Brighton. The two survivors were treated for injuries and taken to a nearby hospital. Police say the single vehicle crash is still being investigated but the car somehow went off the road and began to roll over. The driver survived and is reported to be in stable condition.
