Schoolchildren Among 25 Killed in Cape Verde Bus Crash

At least 25 people, many of them schoolchildren and teenagers, have been killed after a passenger bus plunged into a ravine on the mountainous island of Fogo in Cape Verde, according to local officials and media reports.

The crash occurred late Saturday on the Campanas de Cima route in northern Fogo. The bus reportedly veered off a mountain road and fell about 30 metres (nearly 100 feet) into a steep ravine, leaving several passengers injured.

Many of those on board were primary and secondary school students returning from an excursion. Reuters, citing Cape Verde’s national news agency Inforpress, reported that the trip was not organised by the schools but was an annual outing privately arranged by the driver, who was also among those killed.

Emergency teams faced difficult terrain while reaching the wreckage and transporting survivors to São Francisco de Assis Regional Hospital on Fogo. Some of the injured were reportedly in serious condition.

The scale of the disaster has shocked the island community. Cape Verdean President José Maria Pereira Neves described the crash as “a great catastrophe” and expressed condolences to the victims’ families.

Local reports said seven bodies were buried immediately because of their condition. Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, which had not been established at the time of reporting.

Reports from other outlets indicate that the government has declared a period of national mourning, with officials and emergency authorities working to support the victims’ families and investigate the tragedy.

The accident is particularly devastating for Fogo, a volcanic island whose mountainous terrain can make emergency operations difficult. The tragedy has also prompted an outpouring of grief across the West African island nation.