Horror bus crash leaves 45 dead with girl, eight, as the sole survivor after South African coach plunged off a bridge into a ravine before bursting into flames

A horror bus crash in South Africa which saw a bus plunge off a bridge into a ravine before bursting into flames has left 45 dead and only one survivor, an eight-year-old girl.

The bus driver lost control of the vehicle and it smashed through with barriers on a bridge in the northeastern province of Limpopo, according to the transport ministry. 

It landed on a rocky surface some 50 metres below the bridge, which is known as the Mamatlakala Pass, before bursting into flames.

The passenger bus had been transporting pilgrims from neighbouring Botswana, to Moria, a town in Limpopo, for an Easter weekend church service. 

All but one of those on board, including the driver, died. The child who was the sole survivor was seriously injured and has been receiving treatment in hospital.

Search operations were ongoing late into Thursday night, the provincial government said, but many bodies were burned beyond recognition and still trapped inside the wreckage. 

Firefighters at the scene of a bus crash on the R518 in the Waterberg district in Limpopo

Pictures show the wreckage of the bus in flames after it plunged off the bridge

Black smoke engulfed the passenger bus and firefighters were pictured at the scene

The bus plunged into a ravine after the driver lost control of the vehicle and collided with barriers on the bridge

Search operations were ongoing late into Thursday night, the provincial government said

The bus had a Botswana licence plate, local authorities said, but the nationalities of the passengers was still being checked. 

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga, who visited the crash site, sent her condolences to the bereaved families and the Botswana government.

'I am sending my heartfelt condolences to the families affected by the tragic bus crash, near Mamatlakala. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time. With heightened alertness, we continue to urge responsible driving at all times as more people are on our roads this Easter weekend,' Chikunga said.

The minister added that the cause of the crash is under investigation. 

The accident occurred on the major bridge linking two hillsides near Mmamatlakala, around 190 miles from Johannesburg.

While South Africa has one of the African continent's most developed road networks, it also suffers from one of the worst safety records. 

Just hours before the crash, President Cyril Ramaphosa appealed to South Africans to take care when travelling during the Easter week.

A view of the bridge, known as the Mamatlakala Pass, located in the northeast province of Limpopo

Emergency service workers are seen on the bridge following the horror crash

'Let's do our best to make this a safe Easter. Easter does not have to be a time where we sit back and wait to see statistics on tragedy or injuries on our roads,' he said in a statement.

There were 252 deaths in crashes over the four-day Easter weekend in the country last year, according to reports.

The Zionist Christian Church has its headquarters in Moria and its Easter pilgrimage attracts hundreds of thousands of people from across South Africa and neighboring countries. 

This year is the first time the Easter pilgrimage to Moria is set to go ahead since the COVID-19 pandemic.