At least 20 people have been killed on Cape Verde’s Fogo Island after a bus carrying primary school children on an excursion veered off a mountain road and plunged 30 metres down a steep ravine.

Emergency services confirmed that 18 survivors were rushed to a regional hospital, with four remaining in critical condition. The passengers included school pupils aged between 6 and 11, though island authorities have not yet released an official breakdown of the casualties.

Cape Verdean President José Maria Neves expressed deep sorrow following one of the deadliest road disasters in the archipelago’s recent history. Local authorities have declared two days of national mourning as law enforcement officials initiate a formal investigation into the cause of the crash.

–ChannelAfrica–