At least 25 people, mostly children and teenagers, died after a bus fell into a ravine on Fogo Island, in Cape Verde. The group was returning from a trip to Pico do Fogo, a volcano located on the island, on Saturday night, the 5th.
The vehicle carried 32 people and was on its way back to São Filipe after an activity held annually for students before the return to classes, according to local authorities. Other people were injured, some in serious condition.
According to witnesses, one of the bus’s tires blew, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. The bus skidded and fell into a ravine about 30 meters deep, in a region of difficult access.
Authorities are still investigating the circumstances of the accident. The president of Cape Verde, José Maria Pereira Neves, called the episode a “great catastrophe”.
According to the local press, seven bodies had to be buried immediately due to the state in which they were found. Neves and other authorities are expected to visit Fogo Island on Sunday, the 6th.
Cape Verde is an archipelago of about 550 thousand inhabitants who speak Portuguese, located in the Atlantic Ocean, west of the coast of Senegal.
