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Candles set up in the shape of a heart symbolized the legacy of the 25 victims lost in the school bus crash on Fogo island in Cape Verde on Sept. 5 as CVAB Director Paulo DeBarros read each name aloud. Above, Chiany Correia – a teen from St. Peter’s Teen Center – cradled a candle during the vigil on Monday. Seth Daniel photo
Candles flickered and hearts were heavy on Monday night at Rev. Allen Park on Bowdoin Street, where several hundred people came together in a vigil to mourn the loss of 25 children and adults who were killed in a bus accident in Cape Verde on Sept. 5.
The victims, mostly children and teenagers, were returning from a yearly field trip to the volcanic crater at the peak of Fogo mountain, when their bus careened over a cliff on the Campana de Cima road and plunged 100 feet into a ravine, leaving another 14 riders with injuries.
It was the worst vehicle tragedy in the history of Cape Verde, with many in Dorchester losing family members or friends.
Nelson Estrela nursed a wave of grief as the names of the victims were shown on a poster board. Seth Daniel photo
“I actually lost five cousins and one aunt,” said Luis Monteiro, an analyst for John Hancock who announced a fund set up to help families of the victims. His brother, Ronaldo Monteiro – a Massachusetts state trooper – recalled the family members he lost and also his onetime school bus driver, who was at the wheel in last month’s tragedy. Both brothers came to Dorchester as young teens.
“I’m from the same town as most of the victims and I knew and grew up with a lot of the victims and their families,” said Ronaldo. “We might not feel the same pain as these families, but we are still grieving and grieving with them.
“I came here at age 11, so I knew a lot of the victims and their families – and the driver, Djidjino, was my school bus driver for many years,” he said. “He was much more than a driver for us; he was a community leader, a role model and mentor.
“There were many times we weren’t able to pay for our school transportation, and he would just tell us to pay him at the end of the year. He didn’t want money to get in the way of our education. It meant everything to us, and I believe one of the best ways to honor his legacy is through our own actions.”
Mayor Michelle Wu addressed the audience, saying the tragedy was “unthinkable and unspeakable.” Seth Daniel photo
Organized by the Cape Verdean Association of Boston (CVAB), the vigil brought out many in the Dorchester and Roxbury Cape Verdean communities, as well as elected officials including Mayor Michelle Wu, state Senators Liz Miranda and Nick Collins, state Rep. Chris Worrell, and Councillors John FitzGerald and Ruthzee Louijeune.
Members of the Cape Verdean Parliament, Luis Pires and Maria Gomes, were also in attendance, as was Cabo Verde Consulate General Octavio Gomes.
With candles set up to form a heart, and individual attendees holding candles of their own, Paulo DeBarros of CVAB introduced a program set to music and prayers in Cape Verdean Kriolu and English.
“Tonight, we are Fogo and are with Fogo,” said Miranda. “When something happens on one of the islands that is such a tragedy like this, it affects the whole diaspora. It is felt in Massachusetts, in Dorchester, in Roxbury, in New Bedford, Brockton and Rhode Island…Let each of these candles represent a life that mattered. We are together and will continue to be together as a community.”
Collins read aloud the proclamation and moment of silence that was observed in the state Senate last week for the 25 victims, and the mayor called the situation “unthinkable and unspeakable.”
After several musical interludes and a recitation of the pome ‘Fogo Em Lágrimas’ by Francisco Ramos – read by Nelson Estrela – the names of the 25 victims were read aloud, followed by a release of balloons.
Seth Daniel photos
Cape Verdean Parliament members Luis Pires and Maria Gomes wore pink ribbons pinned to their lapels.
Dennis Alves Depina of Dorchester observed a moment of silence. Seth Daniel photo
State Sens. Liz Miranda and Nick Collins, back, with CVAB President Paulo DeBarros. Seth Daniel photo
Ronaldo Monteiro, a Massachusetts state trooper, and his brother, Luis Monteiro – both of Dorchester – spoke about the relatives and friends from their hometown who they lost.
Copyright © 2026 Boston Neighborhood News, Inc. This content may not be re-published or re-used without written permission.
