Health officials announced that the 8-year-old girl lone survivor of a tragic bus crash in South Africa that claimed 45 lives will be discharged from the hospital on Wednesday.
Atlang Siako, the survivor, is expected to return to her home in Botswana, from where the bus was traveling last Thursday. The bus, en route to an Easter pilgrimage, plunged off a bridge near Mokopane village in the northern province of Limpopo, killing all passengers except Siako.
Authorities are still identifying the burnt remains of the deceased, with eight bodies identified so far.
Limpopo provincial Health Minister Phophi Ramathuba told reporters that doctors were happy with Saiko’s condition and that she could return to her home in Botswana.
“She is in a position where we can now release her to her home because at the same time the psychological impact of being away from home does have an impact on the total, complete healing,” Ramathuba said.
“We want her to heal completely, but she is fine. She is still in a lot of pain but we are satisfied with her condition,” she said.
Ramathuba confirmed that at least 35 bodies had been retrieved from the scene and officials were trying to identify them so they could be repatriated to Botswana.
The government of Botswana has announced it will hold national memorial services around the country for the victims.
“The decision to hold a nationwide memorial service was taken in recognition of the fact that the tragedy of losing 45 lives all at once in a single incident would have affected not only the families and relatives of the victims but the entire nation,” the office of Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi said in a statement.
“It is a national tragedy,” the statement added.
Melissa Enoch
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