Cabo Verde declares national mourning after children killed in bus crash

Cape Verde's government announced two days of mourning on Sunday after 25 people, mostly children and teenagers, were killed in a bus crash.

The west African country's leaders joined a Mass on Sunday at a local church on the island of Fogo, where 18 coffins were on display.

Officials said the bus veered off the road and plunged into a deep ravine late on Saturday, following an excursion to a village inside a volcanic crater.

Prime Minister Francisco Carvalho told public television station TCV he had ordered two days of mourning and promised further measures would be taken.

President Jose Maria Neves, meanwhile, said he would order an inquiry into the circumstances of the accident.

Tragic school trip

Neves described the accident as "a great loss" and "a very painful moment for the country.

"I offer my condolences to the bereaved families, friends, the entire island of Fogo, and Cape Verde," the Head of State stated upon arriving on the island of Fogo this morning," Neves said.

Authorities reported 25 dead. 20 lost their lives at the scene of the accident, and five died at the São Francisco de Assis Regional Hospital, according to official data available so far.

Of the 14 injured, three are in critical condition.

The dead included the bus driver, who organised the excursion every year as a present for the pupils he drove to school during term time.

Government’s support

The government says it will cover the funeral expenses of the victims of the bus accident.

Seven victims were buried early on Sunday. The rest were set to be buried later in the day, according to public radio network RCV.

Dionisio Semedo, a doctor at the regional hospital on Fogo, told public TV that 12 people were still receiving treatment, two of whom were in serious condition.

He said bodies and injured people began arriving at the hospital on Saturday night, between 11:00 pm and midnight.