At least 25 people, including many teenagers, have died after a school bus accident Cape Verde.
The accident occurred late Saturday evening along the Campanas de Cima route, a winding and mountainous stretch of road that connects the area to São Filipe.
The bus had returned to São Filipe after taking the students on an excursion to Cha das Caldeiras, a village located in the crater of the Pico do Fogo volcano.
Authorities said there were 32 people on board when the vehicle suddenly left the road and fell into a rocky valley.
Rescue crews were on the scene for hours trying to reach passengers trapped in the wreckage.
The steep and difficult terrain hampered the operation, which required rescuers to enter the ravine to recover the victims.
Several people survived the crash, but suffered injuries. About a dozen passengers were transported to São Francisco de Assis Regional Hospital, where four were reported to be in serious condition.
The scale of the tragedy placed the hospital under significant pressure, with medical staff called in to treat the injured, in addition to an additional private doctor.
At least 25 people, most of them teenagers, have been killed after a bus carrying 32 passengers plunged into a deep ravine on the volcanic island of Fogo in Cape Verde. Pictured are Cha das Caldeiras and Pico do Fogo in Cape Verde
Most of the dead were high school students from Curral Grande and Ponta Verde. The bus driver was also among the dead.
According to local officials, the driver arranged the outing himself and made it an annual tradition for the children he normally transported to school.
The excursion was reportedly held around the start of the summer holidays or to mark the start of a new school year.
Local reports said the trip was also accompanied by celebrations in honor of Our Lady of Light.
Those religious festivities have now been canceled as the island mourns the victims.
Seven victims were buried early on Sunday due to the condition of their bodies, local media reported. More funerals were expected to take place later in the day.
The exact circumstances that caused the bus to leave the road are still unclear. Authorities have launched an investigation into the crash.
Cape Verdean President José Maria Pereira Neves described the incident as a “major catastrophe” and expressed his condolences to those who lost loved ones.
The president was expected to travel to Fogo along with other officials on Sunday to meet people affected by the disaster.
The São Filipe City Council declared two days of official mourning and pledged to provide assistance to the victims’ families and the wider community.
The West African country’s leaders attended a mass on Sunday at a local church on Fogo island, where 18 coffins were on display.
