At least 45 people have died after a passenger bus plunged off a bridge into a ravine and caught fire in South Africa, the country's transport ministry has said.
An eight-year-old child was the sole survivor and had been taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The bus was taking Easter pilgrims from Botswana, a landlocked country in Southern Africa, to Moria, a town in Limpopo, the ministry said in a statement.
"It is alleged that the driver lost control, colliding with barriers on the bridge causing the bus to go over the bridge and hitting the ground, where it caught fire," the statement said.
Rescue operations had continued until late with some bodies so badly burned that they were difficult to identify, and others were trapped inside the debris or scattered over the crash scene.
The bus had a Botswana licence plate, local authorities said, but the nationalities of the passengers was still being checked.
South Africa's Minister for Transport, Sindisiwe Chikunga, went to the scene of the crash and promised a full inquiry would be held into its cause.
The major bridge linked two hillsides near Mmamatlakala in Limpopo province, around 300 kilometres from Johannesburg.
— Limpopo Department of Transport & Community Safety (@TransportLimCom) March 28, 2024
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 several hours before the crash, President Cyril Ramaphosa appealed to South Africans to take care when travelling during the Easter week.
Mr Ramaphosa sent his condolences to Botswana and pledged support to the country, his office said in a statement.
