Leiria Pledges Support to São Filipe After Fogo Bus Tragedy
The Leiria City Council has unanimously approved a vote of condolence for the victims of a catastrophic bus accident on the Cape Verdean island of Fogo. The tragedy, which occurred Saturday night, claimed 25 lives and left 14 others injured.
During a municipal executive meeting held in the Union of Parishes of Colmeias and Memória, Mayor Gonçalo Lopes read the official motion, which was co-signed by councilors from the PSD and Chega parties. The document expressed the city’s profound grief over the “tragic accident in Campanas de Cima,” noting with particular sorrow that the majority of the victims were children and young people.
A Bond of Solidarity
The municipality of Leiria shares a long-standing relationship of cooperation and friendship with the municipality of São Filipe on Fogo Island. The local authority stated that these deep-rooted ties make the tragedy “particularly felt by the Leiria community.”
“In the face of this tragedy, the municipality of Leiria joins in the mourning of the municipality of São Filipe and the entire community of Fogo Island,” the statement read. The council extended its deepest condolences to the grieving families and offered solidarity to the injured, wishing them a rapid recovery.
Pledging Support
Mayor Gonçalo Lopes announced plans to contact his counterpart in São Filipe immediately to determine what specific assistance the Cape Verdean municipality requires. He emphasized that Leiria is ready to launch necessary initiatives to support a community facing a disaster that “will leave very deep marks.”
The accident occurred in the town of Campanas de Cima, within the municipality of Santa Catarina do Fogo. A bus carrying students returning from a field trip veered off the road and plunged approximately 30 meters, leading to one of the deadliest traffic accidents in the region’s recent history.
Image: Pexels – Bibi Kiekens
