Deadly tour bus crash: 77-year-old killed, children among injured
All travellers on the bus, comprising 24 adults and three children, were from the UK
A man has lost his life, and 27 others were injured following a tour bus accident in the Canary Islands.
Around 1:15pm local time on Friday (April 10), a bus carrying tourists crashed and plunged approximately 33 feet into a ravine on the GM-2 road in La Gomera, according to reports from Sky News and the Spanish paper El Mundo.
“Emergency responders attended to the 28 individuals aboard the bus, which included 27 tourists of British descent and the driver,” shared emergency services 112 Canarias on X.
“Confirmation of one male fatality and 27 injuries with various seriousness, including three severe cases, who were taken to the Hospital Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe,” the post mentioned.
All travellers on the bus, comprising 24 adults and three children, were from the UK, states Sky News.
The individual who died in the accident is thought to be a 77-year-old British male, according to the source, citing the Foreign Office.
The driver is among those critically injured in the accident, El Mundo reports.
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“My sympathies are with those impacted by the tragic incident involving a bus of British vacationers in the Canary Islands,” expressed UK Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper in a post on X.
She confirmed her department remains in communication with local officials and noted they are “prepared to assist Brits and their families.”
The crash's cause is still unknown, with the Civil Guard exploring the possibility of brake malfunctions, as reported by El Mundo.
Director of the General State Administration, Juan Luis Navarro, claimed that the driver “fought against” the suspected brake failure before the incident, according to reports.
"Thankfully, it halted before going off-road, else it could have resulted in a far worse outcome," he remarked.
Discussing the accident, the British embassy in Madrid relayed to Sky News, “Our sympathies are with those affected by this unfortunate event. We are monitoring the situation and are ready to aid British nationals.”
The British embassy, Spanish Authorities in the Canary Islands, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and the Civil Guard did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s inquiry for additional details on April 13.