A devastating transportation incident has shaken Spain’s popular Canary Islands archipelago, after a tourist coach careened off a roadway and fell into a steep ravine on Friday, leaving one person dead and more than two dozen others injured, local emergency response authorities confirmed.
Emergency services officials added that the vast majority of passengers on board the vehicle were citizens of the United Kingdom. The crash unfolded on La Gomera, one of the eight volcanic islands that form the Canary chain, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the northwestern coast of continental Africa.
All 27 injured people have been evacuated and transferred to La Gomera’s primary local medical facility, where they are currently receiving ongoing care for a range of injuries sustained in the fall, according to emergency management representatives.
Famous for its consistently mild, warm climate across all seasons, the Canary Islands have long ranked as one of the most preferred holiday destinations for travelers from the United Kingdom and other Western European countries. La Gomera, one of the archipelago’s smallest inhabited islands, is defined by its dramatic, rugged terrain: the island is marked by towering volcanic peaks, thick ancient forests, and tight-knit villages perched along cliff edges, features that draw tourists seeking quiet, natural getaways but also create steep, winding roadways that can pose navigation risks for large vehicles.