42 victims of Easter bus crash in Limpopo identified

Only an eight-year-old girl survived the crash off the Mmamatlakala Bridge on the R518 on March 28

The burnt remains of the bus that was taking Easter pilgrims from Botswana to Moria, after it crashed near Mamatlakala in Limpopo.
The burnt remains of the bus that was taking Easter pilgrims from Botswana to Moria, after it crashed near Mamatlakala in Limpopo.
Image: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters

Forty-two of the 45 victims of a horror bus crash just before Easter have been identified, the Limpopo health department said on Friday.

The incident, in which a bus carrying members of the St Engenas Zion Christian Church from Molepolole in Botswana, left the road and plunged nearly 50m off the Mmamatlakala Bridge on the R518, happened on March 28.

Only an eight-year-old girl survived the crash, which also claimed her grandmother's life. She returned home to recover after a brief stay in hospital.

The department confirmed: “Up to 42 human remains, which includes the six that were identifiable, have been positively identified through DNA processes.

“The [multidisciplinary] team, comprising members of the police's victim identification unit and forensic pathology services, will meet on Monday at Mokopane Hospital to finalise the packaging of the remains of the deceased to prepare them for repatriation.”

Limpopo health MEC Phophi Ramathuba said: “We are short of words to appreciate our team for the professionalism and speed at which they managed to handle this disaster, appreciating its sensitivity.

“We are looking forward to meeting the team on Monday, where further updates on the way forward will be provided. The team is finalising the analysis of the remaining samples.”

TimesLIVE


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