The privately organized outing ended when the bus left a mountain road on Fogo Island and plunged about 100 feet into a ravine.
SÃO FILIPE, Cape Verde — Twenty-five people, most of them children and teenagers, were killed after a bus carrying students left a mountain road on Fogo Island late Sept. 5 and fell about 30 meters, or 100 feet, into a steep ravine, according to Cape Verdean authorities.
The death toll remained at 25 on Sept. 7, while 13 people remained hospitalized at São Francisco de Assis Regional Hospital and one child had been discharged, hospital officials said. Two of the hospitalized patients required closer medical attention, but officials said their conditions were stable. Authorities had not established what caused the bus to leave the road, and technical teams were examining the crash site and the condition of the roadway.
The crash happened on the route between Chã das Caldeiras and Campanas de Cima as the group returned from an outing in Fogo’s mountainous volcanic interior. Early reports from the scene said the bus left the road and fell into a rocky area that was difficult for rescue crews to reach. Health workers, police, firefighters and civil protection teams responded as some passengers remained trapped in the wreckage.
Many of those aboard were children, teenagers and secondary school students from communities including Curral Grande and Ponta Verde. José Pedro Gonçalves, the Education Ministry’s delegate in São Filipe, said the outing was not organized by the schools. He said the driver had arranged similar trips for students he transported during the school year. The driver was also among those killed.
The casualty count rose during the hours after the crash. Nineteen children and teenagers were taken to the emergency department at São Francisco de Assis Regional Hospital, according to Cape Verde’s national news agency, Inforpress. Five later died after reaching the hospital, while authorities reported that 20 people had died at the crash site. By Sunday morning, officials had confirmed 25 deaths.
Hospital officials continued monitoring survivors through Monday. Clinical director Dionísio Semedo said 13 patients remained under observation after one child was released from the hospital. Two patients needed greater attention because of their injuries, but Semedo said the patients who had undergone necessary treatment were stable. Officials had considered transferring some patients to a larger hospital in Praia, the capital, but said Monday that no transfer was immediately required.
The scale of the deaths led to funeral proceedings within hours of the crash. Seven victims were buried early Sunday in São Lourenço, and burial proceedings for the remaining 18 began later that day following a funeral Mass. President José Maria Pereira Neves, Prime Minister Francisco Carvalho and other national and local officials attended ceremonies as communities across Fogo mourned those killed.
Cape Verde’s government declared two days of national mourning. The government also formed a crisis team and sent medical personnel to Fogo to reinforce local hospital staff. Separate teams were deployed to provide psychological and social assistance to affected families and communities. Local officials said the crash had deeply affected schools and communities across the northern part of the island, where many of the young passengers lived.
Attention has also turned to how the bus left the mountain road. Estradas de Cabo Verde, the national road agency, sent a technical team to examine the section where the crash occurred and determine whether road conditions or other factors may have contributed. The agency said its work would include an assessment of the roadway and other technical conditions at the site. Officials said preliminary findings could be available before Sept. 20, but they cautioned against drawing conclusions before specialists finish their work.
Carvalho said an additional team from the Ministry of Infrastructure was expected on Fogo on Sept. 8 to examine the road and other issues involving vehicle circulation. He said the government’s crisis group would continue reviewing the accident and develop recommendations intended to prevent similar disasters. The government also said it plans to strengthen Cape Verde’s civil protection system with additional equipment, emergency vehicles, rescue resources and training.
The cause of the crash remained undetermined Monday. Officials said investigators and technical specialists would continue examining the roadway and circumstances surrounding the bus while medical teams cared for the 13 people still hospitalized. Authorities had announced no additional deaths, leaving the confirmed toll at 25.
Author note: Last updated September 7, 2026.