On Thursday, a bus carrying 46 Christians veered off a bridge in the mountains of South Africa and fell nearly 200 feet, killing all on board except for an 8-year-old girl who miraculously survived.
The bus was on its way to an Easter festival when the accident occurred.
The South African Department of Transport said the bus had Botswana plates and was towing a trailer. The driver was heading from Botswana to the town of Moria in South Africa’s Limpopo province when he lost control and fell off a winding bridge on a mountain road about 300 miles north of Johannesburg.
Moria is Headquarters The Zionist Church of Christ hosts popular Easter gatherings in the area known as the Zionist Church. Zion City. The Zionist Church of Christ is one of Africa’s largest denominations, and its Autumn Festival and Easter Festival are the largest Christian gatherings in South Africa.
The bus of Easter worshipers came from St. Engenas Zion Christian Church in Molepolole, a village about an hour from Botswana’s capital, Gaborone. According to church elders, although the congregation has visited Moria many times, they had never used this mountain pass before.
South Africa is notorious for having many road accidents during the Easter holidays. During his four-day Easter weekend in 2023 he recorded over 250 deaths. The bridge where the accident occurred has a sharp curve and minimal guardrails.
The bus caught fire after crashing into a rocky area under the bridge, and some of the bodies were burnt beyond recognition. Rescue workers worked hard into Thursday evening to recover other bodies from the rubble.
Amazing rescue cases have been reported. It was an 8 year old girl. survived The accident resulted in relatively minor injuries, including lacerations to most of the body. State officials said they don’t know how she was able to survive. She was reportedly traveling with her grandmother, who passed away in her accident.
A Limpopo health department spokesperson said: “All we can say is we are glad she was found alive.”
Police are reportedly investigating the incident as “manslaughter,” but details of the charges had not been released as of Friday morning.
“It is believed that the driver lost control and crashed into the bridge railing, causing the bus to drive over the bridge and hit the ground, where a fire broke out.” statement This was announced by the South African government.
South African Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga and President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed their condolences to the families of the victims.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with you all during this difficult time. As more people take to the roads this Easter weekend, we continue to urge everyone to remain vigilant and drive responsibly. ” said Chikunga.
“Let’s do our best to have a safe Easter. This Easter we don’t have to sit back and wait for statistics on road tragedies and injuries,” Ramaphosa said.
“It’s a catastrophe. We are deeply affected by what happened, especially because the people were meant to enjoy themselves in the Lord,” said Lemogang Kwape, the foreign minister of Botswana, a predominantly Christian country.
