At least 25 dead in Cape Verde bus crash, most of them children and teenagers

A bus crash in Cape Verde has killed at least 25 people, most of them children and teenagers, public radio network RCV said on Sunday.

Several others were injured in the accident on Saturday, some of them seriously, according to local authorities on Fogo Island, where the crash took place.

The bus was returning to Sao Filipe after an excursion to the Pico do Fogo volcanic crater when it veered off the road and plunged into a deep ravine. Thirty-two people were on board.

The driver was among the dead. He organised the excursion to the unique site every year as a present for the pupils he drove to school during term time.

The wreckage came to a halt in a rocky and hard to reach valley. Emergency personnel worked through the night to rescue victims trapped inside.

Seven people were buried early on Sunday. The rest were set to be buried later in the day, according to RCV.

The president of Cape Verde, José Maria Pereira Neves, called the accident “a great catastrophe” in a statement on his Facebook page.

The president and other officials are expected to visit the island on Sunday, according to a local news agency.