Limpopo health department packaging remains of 42 identified victims of Easter bus crash

The Limpopo health department on Monday said its officials had started packaging the remains of the 42 identified victims of the horrific bus crash that occurred over the Easter weekend.

The bus, carrying members of the St Engenas Zion Christian Church from Molepolole in Botswana to the Easter service at Moria in Limpopo, left the road and plunged nearly 50m off the Mmamatlakala Bridge on the R518 on March 28.

Forty-five people died in the crash. There was only one survivor — an eight-year-old girl who was supposedly thrown out of the bus before it plunged down the mountainside.

Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba said the past three weeks since the accident have been challenging.

“We have been working tirelessly to ensure the identification and repatriation of the remains of those who tragically lost their lives that day.

“A great deal of progress has been made to expedite these processes with the SAPS victim identification unit, biology section of the forensic science laboratory unit and Forensic Pathology Services,” she said. 

So far 42 remains have been identified and the team has started packaging the remains in accordance with the DNA results from the biology section of the forensic science laboratory unit. 

“This step was necessary as many of the bodies were unidentifiable due to fire damage. The packaging of the human remains for the families identified through scientific processes (DNA) will be finalised by the end of today,” Ramathuba said. 

The provincial department will register the deaths with the department of home affairs to obtain death certificates, initiating the repatriation process.

She said the documents were crucial for the health department to authorise the transportation of the remains out of the country.

“Once these processes are completed, we will engage with the Botswana government to finalise the documentation of the deceased, allowing the repatriation to commence.

“The repatriation will include all the bodies, and we aim for this process to be expedited. Botswana will play a key role in determining the mode of transportation back home,” she said, adding the department will provide updates on the repatriation process.

TimesLIVE