Cape Verde Bus Tragedy: 25 Dead in Fogo Island Crash
Scattered among the jagged rocks of a deep ravine on the island of Fogo, the mangled remains of a green and white bus serve as a grim monument to Cape Verde’s deadliest road tragedy in recent memory. The accident, which claimed 25 lives, has left a community in mourning and rescuers haunted by the final moments of the victims.
‘Take Me to Bila’: A Child’s Plea
José Alves, a local resident who was among the first to descend into the treacherous terrain at Campanas de Cima, recalls a haunting encounter with a young survivor. Amid the wreckage and bodies, he reached a child who was still conscious.
“One of the children, when we reached him, said: ‘Take me to Bila,'” Alves told reporters, using the traditional Creole name for São Filipe, the island’s capital.
The rescue was a grueling, improvised effort. Without specialized equipment or technical training, residents used their bare hands to pull victims from the ravine, located some 21 kilometers from the city center. “It was painful; I never imagined I would be in that situation,” Alves said. “I did four rounds. It was tiring, but I don’t even know where the strength came from.”
A Community United in Grief
The spirit of “junta-mão”—a Cape Verdean tradition of collective effort—defined the chaotic hours following the crash. As word spread, more residents arrived to form human chains, hauling the injured and the dead up the steep, irregular slope.
Three days later, the trauma remains palpable. The base of the cliff is still littered with the debris of lives interrupted: backpacks, shoes, clothing, and a single mobile phone resting among the rocks. Most of the 39 passengers were students and young people, returning from Chã das Caldeiras. The driver and a cook were also among the casualties.
Government Response and Investigation
Of the 14 survivors, one has been discharged from the hospital, while two others are being prepared for transfer to the more advanced medical facilities in Praia. The remaining survivors are reported to be in stable condition.
Prime Minister Francisco Carvalho has declared two days of national mourning. In response to the disaster, the government has dispatched a specialized medical team and established a crisis cabinet to provide psychological support to the grieving families.
A technical team from Estradas de Cabo Verde (Roads of Cape Verde) is currently on-site to investigate the cause of the accident and evaluate the safety of the mountainous route. Prime Minister Carvalho also announced plans to strengthen Civil Protection services, creating a multidisciplinary emergency team to ensure faster response times for future tragedies.
“Everyone is sad. It hasn’t been easy,” Alves said, reflecting the mood of an entire island. “We hope everyone can rid themselves of this image, of this trauma.”
Image: Pexels – Bibi Kiekens
