Lorraine Williamson
A fatal coach crash in La Gomera has become one of Spain’s biggest evening stories after a bus carrying British tourists left the GM-2 and plunged down an embankment near San Sebastián. The latest official update from the Canary Islands says one person died and 27 were injured, including four in a serious condition, after the vehicle came off the road on Friday afternoon.
The bus was carrying 27 British nationals plus the driver, according to Reuters. Meanwhile, RTVE reports that the passengers included 24 adults and three minors who had spent several days at a tourist complex in Playa Santiago and were heading to San Sebastián de La Gomera. The crash was reported at around 1.15 pm Canary Islands time.
Latest official casualty picture
The clearest evening figure now comes from the Canary Islands government, which says the victims comprise one dead, four seriously injured and 23 with lighter injuries. Earlier updates had put the number of serious injuries lower, which is why some reports from mid-afternoon differ from the latest official breakdown.
The regional government also activated a multiple-victim alert under the Canary Islands civil protection plan after the crash, underlining the scale of the emergency response. Emergency crews, helicopters and ambulances were deployed to the scene, and injured passengers were taken for treatment on the island, with some cases still being assessed.
What happened on the road
According to RTVE and the Canary Islands government, the accident happened on the GM-2 near the environmental centre at El Revolcadero, on the road linking the island capital with the rest of La Gomera. The bus appears to have left the road on a bend and fallen several metres down an embankment.
Reuters says the coach was operated by Gomera Tours, a local company, and police have opened an investigation into what caused the crash. Later reporting from Europa Press says investigators are considering a possible brake failure as one of the main hypotheses, based on information emerging from the inquiry, but that has not yet been confirmed as the cause.
British nationals affected
This is exactly the kind of story that travels quickly beyond the Canaries: British tourists, a popular holiday destination, and a dramatic crash scene on a mountain road. Reuters says the British foreign ministry is already in contact with the local authorities and has said it stands ready to support British nationals affected by the incident.
It also raises immediate questions about road safety on La Gomera’s steep and winding routes. Reuters notes that one woman died and 10 people were injured in another traffic accident on the same road last year, giving this crash an added public-safety angle beyond the immediate human tragedy.
A routine island transfer turned into a major emergency
RTVE says the group had been staying in Playa Santiago and was travelling to San Sebastián, a route often used by visitors moving between resorts and ferry connections. What should have been a straightforward transfer became a major emergency in a matter of moments.