:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(725x517:727x519)/mmamatlakala-bridge-bus-crash-4-032824-a732cef75e2449a4ae946f9a3eb9670c.jpg)
Forty-five people died, and one 8-year-old girl survived after a bus crashed over a bridge in South Africa, the Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety wrote in a Facebook announcement Thursday.
The Thursday mass casualty accident occurred on the Mma Matlakala Bridge between Marken and Mokopane in the northern province of Limpopo, South Africa about 200 miles north of Johannesburg.
The bus was transporting 45 passengers from Gaborone, Botswana, to a church in Moira, Limpopo Province, for Easter this coming weekend, per the South African Broadcasting Corporation. The vehicle was registered in the neighboring country. Currently, department officials are trying to confirm the victims’ citizenships.
“According to reports, the driver lost control, and the bus fell onto a rocky surface some 50 meters [164 feet] under the bridge and caught fire,” read the Facebook announcement.
Traffic Policing Affairs Limpopo/Facebook
Once the rescue teams responded, they discovered some of the victims’ bodies “were burned beyond recognition,” while other bodies were “trapped inside the debris and others scattered on the scene.”
The sole survivor was “seriously injured” in the accident, the Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety wrote in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter). She was then transported to a nearby hospital, where she is currently being treated, per the Facebook announcement.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety/Facebook
“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,” Minister Chikunga Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga said in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter). “We continue to urge responsible driving at all times with heightened alertness as more people are on our roads this Easter weekend.”
“We want really to extend our heartfelt condolences to the families but also to the government of Botswana and to the people of Botswana and as South Africa we will try everything to assist so that they go back to their country and families to be buried with dignity,” said Minister Chikunga, per the South African Broadcasting Corporation.
