Cape Verde Mourns 25 Dead in Fogo Island Bus Tragedy
SÃO FILIPE, Cape Verde — For 14-year-old Rosely Gonçalves, the start of the school year was supposed to be a time of excitement. Instead, she is preparing to return to a classroom filled with empty desks. One of those seats belonged to Eliseu, a boy she described as a “mischievous but great” friend who sat right next to her.
Rosely is one of the survivors of a horrific bus plunge on Fogo Island that claimed 25 lives on Saturday night. The accident, which Prime Minister Francisco Carvalho called the “greatest tragedy” in the nation’s history since independence, has plunged the communities of Domingos Ledo, Alberca, and Velho Manuel into a state of profound grief.
A Tradition Turned Tragedy
The outing was a long-standing tradition for students who passed their grades, a reward eagerly anticipated by the community. This year, the students were so determined to go that they insisted on the trip even after it was initially postponed. Rosely helped organize the logistics, collecting money from her peers just the day before.
While Rosely usually took the bus, a last-minute decision to ride in a private van with her best friend saved her life. Throughout the day, the group explored the Fogo Natural Park, dancing and filming videos against the backdrop of the island’s famous volcano.
“The driver himself asked me to film the socializing so he could show later what a happy day we had,” Rosely recalled. The joy ended abruptly on the return journey when the bus, carrying 39 people, veered off a narrow road in Campanas de Cima and plummeted 50 meters down a steep slope.
“They Went and They Didn’t Come Back”
The wreckage left behind a scene of unimaginable carnage. Because of the condition of the bodies, many funerals were held almost immediately. In the high northern villages of the island, the sound of weeping now replaces the usual afternoon bustle.
Laura Gomes, 62, sat in her home mourning two grandchildren, aged 12 and 14. “They asked me to wake them up early so they’d have time for breakfast,” she said through tears. “They went and they didn’t come back.”
The driver, a 64-year-old community fixture known for his generosity, also perished. His nephew, João Henrique, described him as a man who often gave free rides to students who couldn’t afford the fare. João, who arrived at the scene shortly after the crash, described the site as “painful,” with bodies scattered across the rugged terrain.
The road where the accident occurred is notoriously dangerous—narrow, steep, and lacking side barriers in several critical sections.
A School Year Defined by Absence
As the island prepares for the school year to begin on September 21, educators are grappling with how to move forward. Liliana Correia, a secondary school teacher, lost six of her students in the crash.
“In a rural community, we aren’t just teachers; we become mothers and psychologists,” Correia said. “Seeing a desk and realizing several students are missing won’t be easy.”
The school plans to prioritize mental health over curriculum in the coming weeks. A team of psychologists has been mobilized to support survivors, some of whom have already reached out to their teachers in distress. “Some say, ‘Teacher, I survived, but I’m not okay, I’m not whole,'” Correia shared.
The Cape Verdean government has declared two days of national mourning and pledged full support for the families. But for the survivors of Fogo Island, the silence left behind by 25 of their “everyone’s boys” will take much longer to heal.
Image: Pexels – Nico Marín
