At least 25 people, mostly schoolchildren and teenagers, have died after a bus fell into a ravine on Cabo Verde’s island of Fogo. The deadly crash prompted the authorities of the archipelago nation to declare a two-day mourning period.
The accident occurred on Saturday, when the bus, carrying children on a field trip, plumetted off a cliff while en route to the village of Cha das Caldeiras. The village, known for its unique wines, is located within the large crater of the active Pico do Fogo volcano.
The annual trip was set up by a private individual. The organizer, who is believed to have been behind the wheel, was killed in the crash. Most of the 32 people aboard the bus were killed in the accident, while others received injuries of varying severity.
“I am heartbroken. This is an irreparable loss, a part of the future that is being said goodbye to: the overwhelming majority of the victims are young people and teenagers,” The country’s president, Jose Maria Pereira Neves, said in a Facebook post.
The president, alongside other top officials, attended the funeral of some 18 victims of the crash on Sunday, while other deceased were buried in a separate ceremony earlier in the day. The country’s authorities are investigating the accident.