A British man has tragically lost his life after a coach carrying UK holidaymakers plummeted into a ravine in the Canary Islands on Friday, with police now probing a possible brake failure as the cause.
The 77-year-old victim, whose identity has yet to be confirmed, was one of 27 British passengers believed to have been en route to the San Sebastián de La Gomera dock, where they were due to board a ferry bound for Tenerife.
Two men, aged 72 and 44, who sustained critical injuries, were airlifted to a hospital in Tenerife, while a further passenger remains in a critical condition. Two additional individuals have also been left seriously hurt.
It has since come to light that the widow of the Briton killed in the crash was among those taken to the hospital.
The tourist bus was packed full with 28 passengers when it plunged 100ft down a ravine in San Sebastian de La Gomera. It came off the road as it travelled round a bend at around 1.15pm yesterday (Friday).
Photographs taken from the scene show the extent of the damage to the vehicle, which saw dozens of the injured airlifted to hospital following a dramatic rescue.
Of the 28 passengers, 27 are reported to be British nationals, with 21 discharged from hospital at the time of writing. Sadly, a 77-year-old Brit has died with his widow among those hospitalised.
An investigation is in its early stages, with the focus on the theory that the bus suffered brake failure before going off a road at a sharp corner.
And Juan Luis Navarro, an island representative to the Spanish government, told press that the driver “tried to fight” after detecting the malfunction, but the vehicle ultimately rolled down the slope.
“Fortunately, it stopped where it did before falling further, otherwise it could have been much more serious,” he added.
