A tourist bus carrying British holidaymakers crashed off a highway on the Spanish Atlantic island of La Gomera on Friday (Apr 10), leaving one person dead and 27 others injured, including three children, authorities said.
The Canary Islands emergency services confirmed the death of a British man, while four of the injured remain in serious condition, including the 63-year-old driver, who is due to be transferred to a hospital in Tenerife.
Officials said the bus, which had 28 occupants including the driver, veered off the road and overturned on steep, rocky terrain beneath a hairpin bend.
Images shared on social media showed the white coach resting on its side down an embankment below the roadway.
The central government’s representative on the island, Juan Luis Navarro, said the bus came to a stop shortly after leaving the road, which likely prevented a far worse outcome.
He added that brake failure is being considered as a possible cause, noting that the driver appeared to have struggled to control the vehicle before it went down the slope.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said UK authorities were in contact with Spanish officials and stood ready to assist those affected.
“My thoughts are with those affected by the tragic incident involving a bus carrying British holidaymakers in the Canary Islands,” she said in a post on X.
The UK Foreign Office also confirmed that the deceased was a British national.
The Canary Islands remain one of Spain’s most popular tourist destinations, attracting millions of visitors each year due to its warm climate and scenic coastline.
