A 77-year-old British man has died and 27 people were left injured after a tourist bus plunged into a ravine in the Canary Islands on Friday.
Three people are being treated in hospital for serious injuries, including a 73-year-old man and a 42-year-old man, authorities said.
The deceased man has not yet been named, but government officials confirmed on Friday he was a British national.
He was believed to be travelling with his wife, who Spanish authorities said remained in hospital on Friday evening.
A state of emergency was declared on the islands after the bus fell from the GM-2 highway near San Sebastian de La Gomera at around 1:15pm. All 28 people on board, including the driver, were taken to hospital.
Investigations are ongoing into the cause of the crash, as police suggested the driver may have been attempting to “fight” a brake failure before the vehicle dropped into the ravine.
Here’s everything we know so far about the crash.
What happened?
Emergency services in La Gomera were first alerted to the crash at 1:15pm on Friday.
Firefighters, police, the Spanish Red Cross and several ambulances, including an air ambulance, were among the emergency responders who attended to the British tourists and driver.
One man was confirmed to have died in the crash, and all 28 people on board, including the driver, were taken to hospital.
Three people suffered serious injuries, including a 73-year-old man and a 42-year-old man, who were transported to hospital in Tenerife.
The island is not a mainstream tourist destination but a small and mountainous isle to the west of Tenerife with a population of around 23,000. It has no international airport, and many of the people who spend time there are hikers – especially British and German.
What do we know about the victims?
All 27 passengers on the bus are understood to have been British tourists in the Canary Islands who were reportedly on their way to the San Sebastián de La Gomera dock, where they were due to travel by ferry to Tenerife before flying back to the UK.
While everyone who was on board was initially taken to hospital, all but six people have since been discharged, authorities said.
Of those, one remains in a serious but stable condition, two in a stable condition, and three others are expected to be discharged on Saturday.
The deceased man has not yet been identified. It is understood he was travelling with his wife, who officials said was still in hospital on Friday evening.
Héctor Cabrera, head of emergency operations on the island, told public broadcaster TVE the bus passengers had been “staying at a resort” on La Gomera.
What caused the crash?
The exact cause of the crash is not yet known. But police have said they are investigating whether a brake failure caused the bus to come off the road, after the driver noticed an issue with braking and “tried to fight”.
Juan Luis Navarro, the island director of the general state administration, told journalists the bus then came off the road and rolled down the slope.
“Fortunately, it stopped before being thrown off the road,” he said. “Otherwise it could have been much more serious.”
Emergency services said the bus is expected to be removed from the ravine on Saturday.
What has the reaction been?
Shortly after the incident, president of the Canary Islands Fernando Clavijo posted on X to express support for the victims and their families.
The British government later confirmed it is supporting the family of the man who died. A foreign office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who died in the bus accident in the Canary Islands and are in contact with the local authorities.”
Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper wrote on X: “My thoughts are with those affected by the tragic incident involving a bus carrying British holidaymakers in the Canary Islands.
“We are in touch with the local authorities & ready to support Brits & their families.”
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