At least 25 people lost their lives in a deadly accident when a bus plunged into a ravine on Fogo Island, Cape Verde. This was among the deadliest accidents on the roads of Cape Verde in recent times.
This accident occurred on Saturday evening on the hilly Campanas de Cima route in northern Fogo, when the bus was returning to São Filipe after an excursion to Chã das Caldeiras, a village within the volcanic crater of Pico do Fogo.
What Really Happened on Fogo Island?
The bus lost its way on the hilly route and fell from the mountainous route to the ravine. It took several hours for the rescue personnel to locate the crashed bus.
Injured persons were rushed to São Francisco de Assis Regional Hospital, in Fogo.
The official cause of the crash is yet to be found out. President of Cape Verde, José Maria Neves, said that it was a “catastrophe” and ordered an investigation.
Two days of national mourning have been declared in Cape Verde. The funerals of the victims started on Sunday. People from all over the island gather at local cemeteries, accompanying the bodies of the deceased.
Who Were the Victims?
The majority of the victims were children and adolescents, pupils of primary and secondary schools in the Curral Grande and Ponta Verde areas.
Among the victims, there was also the driver. According to the authorities, the trip had not been organized by the schools. On the contrary, the private driver organized the trip annually and presented it to pupils, whom he had been transporting to school during the academic year.
This information has made the tragedy especially tragic for the communities, because the driver was familiar to most of his young passengers.
There were some other survivors, but they were injured. On Sunday, twelve people were still hospitalized, and two of them were in critical condition.
Why Was the Rescue so Challenging?
The position where the accident occurred presented some significant challenges for the rescuers.
The bus ended up in a rocky valley beneath the mountain road. This meant that the rescuers spent all night trying to get the bodies out and help the living ones.
The rugged terrain in Fogo, a place with an active volcano called Pico do Fogo, means that some of the mountain roads go through tough areas.
What’s Coming Up Next?
The next thing is for the authorities to find out the reason why the bus veered off the road, if there were any human, mechanical, or road factors involved in the crash.
The injured and the families of the deceased will be cared for by the authorities, as the country goes into mourning during this time.
The president of the country visited some funeral services on Sunday.
Conclusion
With 25 deaths from the Fogo Island bus accident, Cape Verde finds itself mourning over the loss of its people, especially young children.
As funerals go on and the injured get treated, the investigation into the cause of the accident will be keenly followed, but for the families concerned, the priority now is to mourn their dead and take care of the survivors.
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