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Fogo bus crash kills 25
A passenger bus crash on Fogo Island in Cape Verde killed at least 25 people, mostly teenagers, after the bus veered off the Campanas de Cima route and plunged into a ravine late Saturday.
“plunged nearly 100 feet into a ravine”
Reuters reported the bus veered off a mountain road in northern Fogo late Saturday and plunged nearly 100 feet into a ravine, while other outlets described the fall as around 30m into a steep ravine.
Cape Verde’s president, José Maria Pereira Neves, called the crash “a great catastrophe” in a statement on his Facebook page.
The president and other officials were expected to visit the island on Sunday, as authorities had not yet established the cause of the accident.
Hospital care and burials
Injured passengers were taken to São Francisco de Assis Regional Hospital on Fogo, according to multiple reports describing the response after the crash.
NDTV reported the bus was carrying 32 passengers and that the driver organized the excursion to the Cha das Caldeiras village inside the Pico do Fogo volcanic crater every year as a present for pupils he drove to school during term time.
Several outlets said seven bodies were buried immediately or early on Sunday because of their condition, including a report that local media said the burials happened right away.
Education officials said the outing was not organized by local schools but was an annual trip privately arranged by the driver, who was among those killed.
Cause unknown, investigation ahead
Authorities said the cause of the crash was yet to be determined, with Reuters and other reports describing the accident as occurring on the mountainous Campanas de Cima route in northern Fogo.
“20 of the fatalities died at the scene and five died in the hospital overnight”
The Jerusalem Post reported that initial reports indicated the bus veered off the road, fell down a roughly 30-meter cliff in a rocky area, and landed in a ravine that was difficult to access, complicating rescue efforts.
The Jerusalem Post also reported that 20 of the fatalities died at the scene and five died in the hospital overnight, while seven of the victims were buried overnight.
In a separate account, News18 said two teenage girls were reportedly in critical condition and that authorities had launched an investigation into the circumstances that caused the vehicle to leave the road.