At least 45 people killed after bus plunges into South Africa ravine

45 people have died after a bus plunged off a bridge into a ravine in South Africa.

According to the Department of Transport, the bus was carrying 46 passengers, with the sole survivor an eight-year-old girl, who was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after the crash on Thursday.

Authorities say the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed through the barriers on a bridge in a mountainous area near Mamatlakala, 300 kilometres north of Johannesburg.

The bus plunged 50 metres into a ravine before bursting into flames.

The bus was on its way from neighbouring Botswana to Moria, a town in northern Limpopo province that holds a popular Easter festival.

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga travelled to the scene of the crash and promised a full inquiry.

Aljazeera