Widow of British Pensioner Among Hospitalised in La Gomera Bus Crash
The widow of a British pensioner killed in a devastating bus crash on the Canary Island of La Gomera was among 27 passengers taken to hospital, regional health authorities confirmed overnight. The unnamed woman remains the only patient still receiving treatment at Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe Hospital, following the discharge of 21 other casualties.
Horrific Incident on Mountainous Road
The packed tourist bus, operated by La Gomera Tours, veered off the GM-2 road on a sharp bend at approximately 1.15pm yesterday before plummeting 100 feet down a steep ravine. Preliminary investigations suggest brake failure may have caused the catastrophic accident, though official inquiries are ongoing.
Expert psychologists from the College of Psychology and Red Cross personnel have been providing psychological care to the British holidaymaker, who is believed to have been seated beside her 77-year-old partner when the vehicle careered off the mountainous road.
Multiple Serious Injuries Reported
Overnight, two more seriously injured victims were airlifted to a hospital on neighbouring Tenerife, following the earlier transfer of two others. These include the bus driver, a local man in his fifties who attempted to steer the vehicle onto a dirt track after detecting the suspected brake failure.
Juan Luis Navarro, the central government's representative on La Gomera, praised the driver's actions, stating: 'Fortunately it stopped before the fall because otherwise this accident could have been much more serious.' The driver is among four people who sustained serious injuries in the incident.
Second Fatal Crash on Same Road
This tragedy marks the second fatal crash in less than a year on the GM-2 road, which connects the island's capital San Sebastian with the rest of the mountainous territory. Last May, a 73-year-old Spanish woman died and eleven others were injured when a public transport bus overturned just over a mile away from yesterday's accident site.
The British tourists involved in yesterday's crash, including three minors, were beginning their journey home after completing holidays at the El Balcon de Santa Ana resort in Playa de Santiago. They were en route to the port in San Sebastian to catch a ferry to Tenerife, from where they planned to fly back to the United Kingdom.
Consular Support and Investigation
The hotel manager from their resort spent most of yesterday at the hospital assisting the British consulate with consular duties. The whereabouts of tourists discharged from the island hospital remain unclear this morning.
Tour operator The Holiday Property Bond released a statement confirming their involvement: '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.'
The bus is currently secured at the crash site pending removal today, after which police will conduct a full off-site inspection to determine the exact cause of the accident. A local court will coordinate the ongoing investigation.
Political Responses and Safety Concerns
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper expressed her condolences on social media: 'My thoughts are with those affected by the tragic incident involving a bus carrying British holidaymakers in the Canary Islands.'
Canary Islands president Fernando Clavijo offered support to victims and their families, while Angel Victor Torres, Minister for Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, described the news as 'tragic' and expressed hope for no further victims.
La Gomera Tours, the bus operator, insisted all their vehicles were 'up to date' with inspections and reported no previous incidents or complaints from drivers regarding that particular stretch of road. A company representative described the driver as experienced, noting he passes the accident location 'virtually every day.'
The Civil Guard confirmed the deceased is a 77-year-old British national, with investigations continuing into the precise circumstances surrounding this tragic event that has shaken the popular tourist destination.
