WORK to identify and repatriate the remains of 45 Botswana nationals who died after their bus fell off a bridge in Limpopo, South Africa, has begun and is being co-ordinated by the highest offices in both countries.
Only an eight year-old girl survived the horrific crash when the bus carrying churchgoers crashed.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has conveyed his condolences to the Republic of Botswana and to the family and friends of the 45 bus crash victims. The bus which was transporting Easter pilgrims from Botswana to Moria was travelling on the R518 road near Mokopane, Limpopo when it crashed.
According to the Presidency in South Africa, Ramaphosa extended his sympathies in a call to President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana and pledged the continued support of the South African government during this time of need for the people of Botswana.
President Masisi, in return, expressed his gratitude for the cooperation that the government of Botswana has received from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), as well as from the provincial and local government structures.
South Africa’s Department of Transport said that a bus crash near Mamatlakala in the northern province of Limpopo resulted in at least 45 deaths and one seriously injured person.
The ministry alleged that the driver lost control and collided with barriers on the bridge, causing the bus to go over the bridge and hit the ground where it caught fire, according to the statement.
The passenger bus was transporting people from Botswana to Moria, a town in Limpopo, it added.
Rescue operations continued until the late hours of Thursday evening, as some bodies were burned beyond recognition, others trapped inside the debris and scattered on the scene, Limpopo’s Department of Transport said in a separate statement.
