A devastating road accident on Cape Verde’s Fogo Island has claimed the lives of at least 24 people, the vast majority of whom were children and teenagers. Jose Canuto, the lead official for civil protection in Sao Filipe, confirmed the heartbreaking news on Sunday, noting that the crash occurred on Saturday. In addition to the fatalities, eight other individuals sustained injuries, with several reportedly in serious condition.

Authorities are still processing the scale of this disaster, which stands out as a highly unusual event for the West African archipelago. Cape Verde is typically known for maintaining its road infrastructure to a high standard, making a catastrophe of this magnitude particularly shocking for the local community. Officials have provided limited details so far, but the focus remains on the medical care of the survivors and supporting the families affected by this sudden loss.