A road accident on Fogo island, in Cape Verde, caused at least 25 dead and 18 injured when a bus carrying dozens of children and teenagers crashed and fell into a ravine about 30 meters deep. The disaster occurred on Saturday night during the return from a school trip. Twenty victims died at the impact site and another five died during the night at the regional hospital. Among the 18 injured are young people aged between six and 11 years old, four of them in serious clinical condition.
The circumstances of the accident are under investigation, but initial information points to loss of vehicle control in a winding area with steep decline, resulting in the fall over the rocky cliff. The violence of the impact almost totally destroyed the bus structure, making it difficult to extract passengers trapped in the wreckage. Rescue teams faced rugged terrain and the darkness of the night to remove victims from the disaster area.
The municipality of Fogo island declared two days of municipal mourning and scheduled extraordinary meetings to provide social, psychological and logistical support to the bereaved families. The Cape Verdean Prime Minister expressed deep sorrow and guaranteed that the State will mobilize all resources to assist the injured. Several funerals began to take place on Sunday morning. The President of the Portuguese Republic sent formal condolences to the Cape Verdean people, expressing solidarity with the sister territory.
