At least 45 people are dead today after a bus fell from a bridge in South Africa’s Limpopo province, while an eight-year-old boy is hospitalized in critical condition.

According to the Ministry of Transport, the bus had departed from Botswana bound for Moria (in the north-eastern tip of South Africa). “The driver apparently lost control of his vehicle,” the statement said, causing the bus to crash from a height of 50 meters and burst into flames.

A total of 46 people were on board the bus, including the driver, according to the same source. The process of identifying the victims is difficult, as many bodies are charred.

The accident occurred on a bridge connecting two hills in Mamatlakala district, about 300 kilometers away from Johannesburg. Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga, who visited the scene of the tragedy, pledged that a thorough investigation would be carried out into the causes of the accident.

Although South Africa has one of the most developed road networks on the African continent, it suffers thousands of road traffic fatalities every year.

Just a few hours before the fatal traffic accident, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa appealed to his countrymen, ahead of the Catholic Easter, to do everything they can to avoid mourning victims on the tarmac.