45 people died in an accident in South Africa Only an 8-year-old boy survived.

Only an eight-year-old boy survived A bus carrying 46 people fell off a bridge and caught fire in South Africa. The bus fell from a bridge connecting two mountain ranges near Mmamadlakala, about 300 kilometers north of Johannesburg, in the country's northeastern Limpopo province.

The boy, whose name has not been identified, was taken to hospital with serious injuries, the transport ministry said in a statement late on Thursday. The passengers were pilgrims traveling from Botswana's capital Gaborone to an Easter service in the northern South African town of Moria.

“The driver lost control and crashed into the barriers of the bridge, causing the bus to travel over the bridge and hit the ground where it caught fire,” the statement said. The bus had a Botswana license plate, local authorities said, but the passengers' nationalities were still being verified.

Transport Minister Chindisiwe Chikunga, who visited the scene of the crash, said the South African government would help repatriate the bodies and that a full investigation would be conducted into the cause of the crash, the BBC reported.

Chikunga said, “My deepest condolences to the families affected by the tragic bus accident.” He added: “Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time. “As more people take to our roads this Easter weekend, we continue to urge responsible driving and increased vigilance at all times.”.

Although South Africa has one of the most developed road networks in Africa, it has one of the worst safety records. Hours before the crash, President Cyril Ramaphosa had appealed to South Africans to be careful when traveling for Easter.

“Let's do everything we can to make it a safe Easter,” he said in a statement published in The Guardian newspaper.