45 killed in South Africa bus crash

JOHANNESBURG -- A total of 45 people were killed in a bus crash that occurred Thursday in South Africa's northeastern province of Limpopo, the country's Department of Transport said.

The crash, which involved a passenger bus allegedly transporting people from Botswana to Moria, a town in Limpopo, killed at least 45 people and seriously injured one, the department said in a statement late Thursday.

"I am sending my heartfelt condolences to the families affected by the tragic bus crash near Mamatlakala. We continue to urge responsible driving at all times with heightened alertness as more people are on our roads this Easter weekend," Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga said.

The police will continue to provide updates as the rescue and recovery efforts unfold, and the precise cause of the crash is under investigation, according to the statement.

The 45 dead were worshippers, and they were killed after their bus went out of control, fell over a bridge, and caught fire on the mountain pass between Mokopane and Marken in Limpopo, the South African Broadcasting Corporation said in an earlier report Thursday.