At least 25 people, mostly children and teenagers, have been killed in a bus crash on Fogo Island in Cabo Verde, according to public radio network RCV.
Several others were injured, some seriously, after the bus carrying 32 passengers veered off the road and plunged into a deep ravine on Saturday.
The accident occurred as the group was returning to Sao Filipe after an excursion to Cha das Caldeiras, a village located inside the crater of Pico do Fogo, the island’s active volcano.
The head of civil protection for Sao Filipe, Jose Canuto, said emergency workers battled through the night to rescue victims trapped inside the wreckage, which came to rest in a rocky and difficult-to-access valley.
The deceased included the bus driver, who reportedly organised the annual excursion as a gift for pupils he transported to school during the academic year.
Authorities said seven victims were buried early on Sunday, while the remaining bodies were expected to be buried later in the day.
Road accidents of this scale are considered uncommon in Cabo Verde, where roads are generally described as being in good condition.