Deadly Bus Crash into Ravine Kills 25 Schoolchildren

A horrific fatal accident occurred in Cabo Verde after a bus carrying a group of students plunged into a ravine on the island of Fogo on Saturday. The heartbreaking tragedy killed at least 25 people, most of them schoolchildren and teenagers, and prompted the authorities of the West African island nation to declare two days of national mourning.

Quoting Russia Today on Monday (7/9/2026), the tragic accident occurred when the bus carrying the children on a field trip careered off a cliff whilst travelling towards the village of Cha das Caldeiras. The village, famed for its distinctive wine production, is located inside the large crater of the active Pico do Fogo volcano.

The annual trip is known to have been organised by a private party. The organiser, who is believed to have been behind the wheel at the time of the incident, was also killed in the fatal accident. Meanwhile, several other victims suffered injuries of varying severity.

The President of Cabo Verde, Jose Maria Pereira Neves, could not hide his grief and immediately conveyed his deep condolences in a post on his personal Facebook account.

“I am heartbroken. This is an irreparable loss, part of the future we must now bid farewell to: most of the victims were young people and teenagers,” he said.

The president, along with a number of other senior officials, is reported to have attended the funeral of around 18 of the accident victims on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the other deceased victims were buried in separate ceremonies on the same day.

Local authorities are still conducting a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause of the tragic accident.