The 8-year-old girl, the only survivor from a horrific bus accident in Limpopo last week, has finally arrived home in Botswana. Forty-five people died after the bus they were in plunged off a bridge into a ravine between Mokopane and Marken.
The bus was transporting people from Botswana to an Easter church service outside Polokwane. Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi says his government will ensure that the families of the victims get the support they need.
Lorain Atlang Siako’s family is still dealing with the loss of her grandmother who died in the accident. President Masisi has visited the village where the victims of the crash came from.
“We have seen something we have never experienced here in Botswana, such an accident never happened. There has never been such a painful accident. We have to thank with all our hearts our neighbours that together with their president and different agencies they have been very supportive. They supported the families with dignity and with all resources. They have and even us here in Botswana we don’t have. We are asking ourselves if it happened here, what we were going to do. Let’s thank the government of South Africa. Let me also warn everyone, even if you are not Motswana, but please give respect to those who lost their family members. It is not right when reporting, you report as if we lost animals.”
Lorain Atlang Siako left South Africa yesterday:
The onerous task of identifying the bodies of the victims has started.
Authorities have appealed to the relatives to co-operate with experts. Masisi says this is a difficult time for Botswana.
“Some of the bodies can be identified and some cannot. This will take time for us to come to terms with. They are doing everything in their power with all resources and technology available to ensure that whoever they identify matches. If mistakes can happen, just accept that this is your family member because it was not intentional. What I was told is that it is not good. The little one who only survived, please protect her and pray for her and also teach your children not to gossip about her when they see her. We don’t want to hurt her.”
On Thursday, a memorial service will be held in all the districts of Botswana to pay tribute to those who died in the crash.
