Cabo Verde is mourning after a passenger bus left a mountain road on Fogo Island and plunged about 30 metres into a ravine, killing 25 people. The crash happened on Saturday, 5 September, on the route between Chã das Caldeiras and Campanas de Cima in the north of the volcanic island.
Many of the passengers were children and teenagers returning from an outing. Cabo Verde’s national news agency, Inforpress, reported that 20 people died at the scene and five later died at São Francisco de Assis Regional Hospital. The driver was also among those killed, according to reporting carried by the Associated Press and Reuters.
The latest municipal count said 14 people were injured and three remained in critical condition. Earlier hospital reporting said 19 children and adolescents between the ages of six and 16 had arrived at emergency care, a figure that included patients who subsequently died. Those figures describe different points in the response and should not be added together.
Prime Minister Francisco Carvalho announced two days of national mourning, expanding the two-day municipal observance declared earlier by São Filipe. The government also created a crisis office and sent a 16-person team of doctors, nurses and specialists to reinforce the island’s medical response and assess whether any patients needed evacuation to Praia.
Education Minister Arnaldo Brito said the excursion was a longstanding community activity but was not organised by the Education Ministry or local schools. That distinction matters because descriptions such as ‘school trip’ can incorrectly imply that a school authority planned or supervised the journey.
Police are investigating the circumstances of the crash. Authorities have confirmed that the bus left the road in difficult mountainous terrain, but they have not announced why. Claims about mechanical failure, speed, road conditions or driver conduct remain unverified unless investigators release evidence.
President José Maria Neves, the prime minister and national and local officials attended funeral ceremonies at São Lourenço on Sunday. Inforpress reported that seven victims had been buried during the early hours and that ceremonies for the remaining 18 began later that morning. The government said it would cover funeral expenses and strengthen psychological and social support for affected families.
The disaster has placed heavy demands on Fogo’s emergency and health services. Difficult access complicated rescue work, while the regional hospital mobilised staff to assess and treat young patients with multiple injuries. The immediate public priorities are continuing care, support for grieving families and clear official updates on survivors’ conditions.
Responsible reporting should keep the victims and their families at the centre of the story. Graphic images and unverified casualty lists can deepen harm. Until the investigation is complete, the verified account is that 25 people died, the government reported 14 injured at its national-mourning announcement, and the cause had not been established.
