Cape Verde has begun two days of mourning following a devastating bus crash on the island of Fogo that killed 25 people, most of them children and teenagers.
The accident occurred on Saturday when a passenger bus carrying 32 people veered off a mountainous road while returning to São Filipe after an excursion to Chã das Caldeiras, an area located within the volcanic crater of Pico do Fogo.
The vehicle plunged into a deep ravine, making rescue operations particularly difficult because of the rocky and inaccessible terrain.
The driver was among those killed. According to local reports, he had organised the excursion as an annual outing for pupils whom he drove to school during the academic term.
Emergency workers spent several hours working through the night to reach people trapped in the wreckage. Several others were injured, with some requiring hospital treatment.
Funeral ceremonies for the victims began on Sunday, with families and residents gathering across Fogo Island to accompany the victims to their final resting places.
Seven victims were buried earlier, while the remains of 18 others were later taken for burial.
President José Maria Neves attended some of the funerals and ordered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
The tragedy has sent shockwaves through the small West African island nation, where major road accidents of this scale are relatively uncommon.
