Cape Verdean President José Maria Neves on Sunday attended the funeral of some of the victims of a devastating bus crash on Fogo Island that claimed at least 25 lives.
Most of those killed in Saturday’s accident were children and teenagers, while several others sustained injuries, some of them serious, according to local authorities.
The bus, carrying 32 people, was returning to the island’s main city, São Filipe, after an excursion to the Pico do Fogo volcanic crater when it reportedly veered off the road and plunged into a deep ravine.
The driver was among those killed in the crash. He had reportedly organised the annual excursion as a gesture for the pupils he transported to school during the academic term.
The wreckage came to rest in a rocky and difficult-to-access valley, forcing emergency responders to work through the night to rescue passengers trapped inside the vehicle and recover victims.
President Neves described the tragedy as “a great catastrophe” in a social media post, as the island mourned the victims.
Authorities are expected to continue investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash as families and the wider community come to terms with the loss.
