A British pensioner has been killed and 27 others injured after a tourist bus taking holidaymakers to the airport plunged 30ft into a ravine in the Canary Islands.
The tour bus, carrying 27 Britons and the driver, tumbled down the steep cliff on the Spanish island of La Gomera at around 1.30pm on Friday, sparking a major emergency response involving helicopters.
Passengers were left trapped inside the wreckage and had to be freed by firefighters, who also secured the bus to stop it sliding further down the ravine after it came off at a hairpin bend on the GM-2 near San Sebastian.
The bus ‘fortunately stopped shortly after coming off, because otherwise it could have been much more serious’, the central government’s representative on the island, Juan Luis Navarro, said.
A brake failure could have been to blame, and the driver ‘tried to fight to avoid coming off until he eventually went down the slope’, Mr Navarro said.
A spokesperson for the Civil Guard told the Daily Mail that a 77-year-old man died and at least 27 people were injured.
Four of the injured were in a serious condition, including the 63-year-old driver who was rushed to a hospital on the island of Tenerife.
Two men – aged 73 and 42 – were airlifted to hospital, while two others were taken by ambulance to the Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Hospital.
According to tour operator Holiday Property Bond, the group of tourists were being driven to the airport to return home at the time of the accident.
The firm said in a statement: ‘The Holiday Property Bond is aware of a serious coach incident on the island of La Gomera in the Canary Islands today involving some of our Bondholders and guests. The coach was transferring holidaymakers to the airport, to return home.
‘Our immediate focus is on the safety and wellbeing of everyone affected. We recognise this is an extremely distressing situation for those involved, as well as for their families and loved ones, and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.’
The bus came off a narrow mountain road near a tunnel and a sharp hairpin bend high above rocky terrain.
Dramatic images show the crumpled vehicle laying on its side after plunging down the slope.
Several ambulances from the Canary Islands Emergency Service, a medical helicopter, a GES helicopter and police resources were operating at the scene.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has said her thoughts are with those affected by the ‘tragic’ bus crash in the Canary Islands and the Foreign Office is ready to support the British tourists involved and their families.
The Foreign Office confirmed that the man involved in the crash was a British national.
La Gomera is one of the prettiest Canary Islands but has a network of high and potentially dangerous roads.
Tourists who visit the island say ‘it’s like taking your life in your hands’ when crossing from one part of the island to the other side.
San Sebastian is the most popular holiday hotspot on La Gomera.
According to the first information, the driver of the vehicle lost control at a critical point on the road, which caused the bus to cross the road and end up falling down the embankment.
The magnitude of the accident forced the immediate mobilisation of an unprecedented emergency device in the area.
The 112 Canarias activated the helicopters of the Emergency and Rescue Group (GES) and an aerial medical unit to facilitate the evacuation of the most seriously injured to various hospitals.
The orography of the terrain has complicated the rescue work, forcing the Civil Protection, Environment of the Cabildo de La Gomera and Volunteer Firefighters to secure the structure of the vehicle to prevent further displacements.
The Civil Guard has cordoned off the area to allow air resources to land and guarantee the safety of the intervention teams.
Although the investigation by the Civil Traffic Guard is already underway, it is still too early to determine the exact causes that led the bus to leave the road.
The authorities are collecting testimonies from the occupants who are in mild condition and analysing the brake tracks on the asphalt.
