At least 21 people were killed and several others injured after a bus plunged down a steep slope on Fogo Island in Cabo Verde late Saturday, according to local authorities.
Cabo Verdean President Jose Maria Neves initially put the death toll at 10 before revising it to 21 in a social media post. He expressed condolences to the families of those killed.
The accident took place on a road linking Cha das Caldeiras and Campanas de Cima in the northern highlands of Sao Filipe municipality, local news agency Inforpress reported.
The bus reportedly veered off the road and fell about 30 metres down a steep slope at a difficult-to-access site.
Most of the passengers were young people, mainly secondary school students from Curral Grande and Ponta Verde, according to the report. The driver was also among those killed.
Local education authorities said the trip was not organised by any school. Rather, it was an annual outing privately arranged by the driver for students he transported during the school year.
Sao Filipe municipal councillor for civil protection Joao Jose Canuto said rescue operations were continuing at the site and warned that the death toll could rise.
Authorities are expected to confirm the final number of casualties after rescue work and identification of the victims are completed. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.