British tourist dies and 14 injured in bus crash

A coach carrying the driver and 27 British tourists being transferred from their holiday accommodation in Playa de Santiago to the ferry in San Sebastian de La Gomera crashed yesterday just about 4 kms from its destination and only a few hundred yards above the location of another fatal bus crash in May last year.

One British tourist died in yesterday's crash, three are in a serious condition and a further 11 suffered minor injuries. The three most seriously injured have been transferred by helicopter to the university hospital in Tenerife, the others are being treated in La Gomera's hospital. It has been confirmed that the most seriously injured victim is the driver who remains in a critical condition.

The crash happened at around 1 pm and it has been reported that the Guardia Civil police suspect a brake failure on the steep serpentine mountain road which has lots of sharp bends and that the driver's actions prevented a much worse outcome, but further investigations are ongoing. The British Foreign Office is supporting the victims and their families while all victims are receiving psychological support provided by local authorities.

(images from official Canary Islands government 112 emergencies X account)

Fatal bus crash on mountain road

Image source: diariodeavisos

A major accident on the GM-2 main road about 3 km outside San Sebastián de La Gomera yesterday morning left a 73-year-old woman dead and 11 other people injured, some seriously, when a public transport bus with 20 people on board overturned.

The crash happened at around 8:30am, when the bus veered off the road and tumbled down a slope. The authorities stated that the vehicle was operating the regular route between Alajeró in La Gomera's south and the capital San Sebastián de La Gomera when it left one part of the roadway and overturned onto a lower part of the same mountain road near and below the large statue of Christ overlooking the capital.

Scene of the accident seen from the upper part of the road. Image source: diariodeavisos

The alarm was raised at 8:42am, initiating a major emergency response involving ambulances, a rescue helicopter, police, civil defence, etc. According to the Canary Islands’ Emergency Coordination Centre (CECOES), all those injured were taken to Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe hospital, but one critically injured was later transferred by helicopter to Tenerife's main hospital.

The cause of the accident is being investigated by a team of specialists from Tenerife.

Despite La Gomera's winding and often precipitous roads such accidents are thankfully very rare, but in January 2018 another bus crashed and overturned (click to read post).

Body discovered in Tuesday's fire outbreak

The scene of the fire near Playa del Ingles (Image: Bomberos Valle Gran Rey)

A fire broke out in Valle Gran Rey on Tuesday afternoon around 4pm. The small area of scrubland affected is close to the minor road between La Playa and Playa del Ingles, near art gallery Oasis. The local voluntary fire brigade arrived quickly on the scene and the fire was subsequently brought under control. However, when the area was checked more thoroughly a male body was discovered. Rumour has it that the fatality is a Swiss citizen and that a small gas container had exploded. Another person is said to have narrowly escaped the flames uninjured. The Guardia Civil police continue to investigate the incident.