Bus accident in Cape Verde leaves 25 dead, most of them children and teenagers

At least 25 people, most of them children and teenagers, died on Saturday night (5) in a traffic accident in Cape Verde during a student excursion on the island of Fogo, authorities said in a statement released this Sunday (6) on the country's public radio.

The bus was carrying 32 people who were returning to São Filipe after a trip near the Pico do Fogo volcano. The vehicle reportedly lost control after one of its tires burst, left the road and fell approximately 30 meters down a steep slope, in an area that was difficult to access.

The trip was part of an annual excursion organized privately by the driver, who also died in the accident, shortly before the start of the school year. Education officials said the tour had not been organized by local schools, although many of the passengers were elementary and high school students.

The injured were taken to the São Francisco de Assis Regional Hospital, on the island of Fogo. According to José Canuto, responsible for Civil Defense in the municipality of São Filipe, some of them were in serious condition.

Major accidents are rare in Cape Verde, an archipelago of around 550,000 inhabitants located in the Atlantic, off the coast of Senegal. The country, made up of ten islands, is known for generally having roads in good condition.