About 34 bodies of the 45 people who died in a bus crash on Thursday in Limpopo were retrieved, with only nine of them being identifiable. The South African Police Service’s (SAPS) Interpol National Centre Bureau (NCB) office has confirmed that all passengers were Botswana nationals.
“As of 11am on Friday, March 29, only 34 bodies have been found thus far. Of the 34, only 9 are identifiable,” SAPS confirmed in a statement.
However, the police said authorities were still combing the scene for more bodies.
SAPS said Interpol NCB Pretoria will continue to liaise and update INTERPOL NCB Gaborone on the process to identify and repatriate the remains of the deceased.
According to the police, they have registered the incident and were investigating a case of culpable homicide.
On Thursday, a bus carrying about 46 passengers from Botswana to St Engenas ZCC church lost control and plunged off a bridge, and caught fire on the Mamatlakala mountain pass between Marken in Limpopo.
A total of 45 people died and only an eight-year-old girl survived but sustained serious injuries. She is now confirmed to be stable and receiving medical care.
According to the passenger bus list from the owner, who is also a Botswana citizen, there were 31 females and 15 males on board the 45-passenger seater taxi.
All passengers were from a village called Molepolole, near Gaborone. This is also where President Cyril Ramaphosa is also expected to be this weekend.
Furthermore, the National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Fannie Masemola has also through the INTERPOL office sent his condolences to the families of the victims who perished.
The Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga has since expressed her deepest condolences to the families affected by the incident.
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