8-year-old girl is the only survivor of a bus crash in South Africa that killed 45 people

Firefighters at the scene of a bus crash in the Waterberg region of Limpopo Photo: Limpopo Department of Transport Emergency services on the R518 over the crash site

Sindisiwe Chikunga, South Africa's transport minister, visited the crash site and offered her «sincere condolences» to the families of the victims. victims and the Botswana government.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time,” she said. “With increased vigilance, we continue to encourage responsible driving at all times as more people find themselves on our roads this Easter weekend.”

Ms Chikunga promised that there would be an investigation into the incident, adding: «We will do everything possible to help them return to their country and to their families so that they can be buried with dignity.»

It is expected that Thursday evening emergency services will work to recover the remains of the victims, whose bodies are said to be burned beyond recognition.

Ms Chikunga suggested DNA testing may be needed to identify the dead.

Some of them were stuck in the wreckage of the bus, while others were scattered around the crash site. The rocky and treacherous nature of the gorge means authorities are struggling to recover the bodies and will likely have to transport them by air.

Their identities have not been officially confirmed by authorities, but local media reported they were pilgrims from Botswana.

Local authorities said the bus had a Botswana license plate, but the nationalities of the passengers were unknown.

Next investigator to the crashed vehicle Photo: Themba Hadebe/AP The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle

“It is alleged that the driver lost control after colliding with barriers on the bridge, causing the bus to fly over the bridge and crash into the ground where it caught fire,” the Ministry of Transport said in a statement.

Images released by the Ministry of Transport showed the bus lying on its side and smashed as a result of the fall. Its windows and roof appear to have caved in, and the hull of the trailer it was towing can be seen in the distance.

The paint appeared to have been stripped away by the flames as firefighters stood nearby. away, hose it down.

Other images on social media, apparently taken from the bridge, show a fire raging at the crash site and black smoke billowing into the sky.

The bridge remains closed and motorists are advised to use alternative routes.

Although South Africa has one of the best road networks on the African continent, it also suffers from one of the worst safety records.

Total hours before the disaster, President Cyril Ramaphosa urged South Africans to exercise caution when traveling over the Easter week.

“Let's do everything we can to make this Easter safe. Easter doesn't have to be a time when we sit back and wait for statistics on tragedies or injuries on our roads,” he said in a statement.