Key takeaways
Accident Details: At least 25 people, many teenagers, died when a bus plunged 30 metres into a ravine on Fogo Island. Several passengers were injured and taken to Sao Francisco de Assis Regional Hospital.
Mourning and Funeral: Cape Verde declared two days of mourning. A mass funeral took place at Sao Lourenco Church, with 18 coffins displayed and 7 bodies buried immediately due to their condition.
Cause and Context: The trip was a privately arranged outing, not organized by schools. The driver, who died in the crash, arranged the trip. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the accident.
The accident occurred on the Campanas de Cima route, a mountainous area in Fogo Island, late on Saturday. A passenger bus veered off the road and plunged about 30 metres into a steep ravine.
Cape Verde’s government has announced two days of mourning and the president José Maria Pereira Neves called the accident “a great catastrophe”.