25 killed after bus accident on Cape Verde's Fogo Island, officials report
A passenger bus veered off a mountain road and plunged into a ravine on Fogo island, leaving at least 25 dead, mostly students
This is a devastating tragedy. Based on reports from national and international news agencies, here are the key details of the accident.
At least 25 people were killed when a passenger bus veered off a mountain road and plunged approximately 30 meters (100 feet) into a steep ravine.
The majority of the passengers killed were children and teenagers, primarily primary and secondary school students. The bus driver was also among the dead.
As reported, the crash occurred late Saturday on a mountain road between Chã das Caldeiras and Campanas de Cima in the northern part of Fogo's São Filipe municipality.
The bus was returning from an excursion to the volcanic crater area. Officials clarified that the trip was a private annual outing organized by the driver rather than a school-sponsored event.
President José Maria Pereira Neves publicly expressed his grief, calling the incident “a great catastrophe”. Local emergency crews worked through difficult terrain, and an investigation into the exact cause of the crash is underway.
Education officials said the outing was not organized by local schools but was an annual trip privately arranged by the driver, who was among those killed, Inforpress said.
