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THE INDEPENDENT ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER WITH LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL NEWS
FRIDAY 22nd JULY TO THURSDAY 4th AUGUST 2016 TV GUIDE
PAGES 25 -32
EDITION 555
MOVIES AT ...
FORTNIGHTLY SUPPLEMENT F
property p
PAGES 49 -56
guide
THE NIGHT A MOUNTAIN ROAD COLLAPSED
Aftermath of the drama which saw Canary’s biggest-ever air rescue
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HE night the TF-445 mountain road in Tenerife collapsed, stranding 174 people in the dead of night, will be a drama remembered by many. It prompted one of the biggest overnight air rescues in the history of the Canary Islands, if not in the whole of Spain, and involved numerous bodies, including the Cabildo, police, Fire Consortium, Spanish Army, Red Cross, Civil Protection, municipal staff and volunteers. They have been widely praised for their professionlism in getting everyone to safety. The giant sinkhole opened up near one of the most visited beauty spots on the holiday island just after 7pm and will now require a major safety study and urgent repairs. Local traders in the area are already expressing concern over the impact on their businesses and are calling for emergency aid. The road meanders hundreds of feet up between the picturesque town of Buenavista del Norte and the iconic Punta de Teno which is a mecca for many tourists because of its rugged coastline and lighthouse. The mountain route suddenly collapsed, leaving a
gaping hole of eight metres long and four metres wide just as cars were approaching from both directions. Because the precarious cliff-side road is so narrow, it was impossible for them to reverse or turn without risking plunging down the rocks. The appearance of the giant sinkhole left 174 people stranded. There were nearly 60 cars affected, many of them carr ying children and a pregnant woman in another, plus five dogs. They were provided with tents, blankets, water and food because many had been to the beach for the day and were not prepared for the cold. One local resident who saw the scene said: “I thought at first that a car had gone over the edge. Then I realised the road had collapsed.” Despite being shocked, noone was injured or needed medical treatment and there was no damage to any property. What followed, however, was a dramatic rescue with those stranded being helped
triggered the island’s emergency plan and there has been widespread praise for the way the rescue operation was conducted. The island’s president Carlos Alonso had travelled to the scene, together with representatives of other authorities. Now, it will be up to the Cabildo to investigate what made the road collapse and this could take weeks to determine. The situation has been declared an emergency. All 60 cars stranded were retrieved in the days after the collapse in another major operation.
across the remaining part of the road with safety ropes and harnessses. Four helicopters then plucked the stranded families from the mountainside, with the darkness only lit up by emergency lights. In all, they made 14 trips. The 174 people were transferred to the nearby historic town of Garichico in an operation which lasted into the early hours of the morning. From there, they were taken by bus to their original point of departure. The collapse happened at approximately 6.30pm and the final transfer was made at 1.30am. A spokesman for the emergency services said it was not possible to make any of the transfers by sea because of the poor conditions. The skill of the pilots and ever yone involved in the rescue has been widely praised because it was a dangerous operation, made even more difficult because of the rugged terrain, darkness and strong gusts of wind. The pilots themselves have acknowledged this but said everyone affected took it all in their stride, particularly the children who gave them “thumbs up” signs and even took selfies. An investigation has started to determine the cause of the collapse which
Alert after first forest fires of the summer
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HE dangers of forest blazes during the very hot weather, combined with strong winds, has already been demonstrated by the first two summer fires in Tenerife. Swift action by the emergency services prevented a more serious situation after fire first broke out in the mountains of La Esperanza in the municipality of El Rosario. The location was adjacent to the TF-24 road leading from La Laguna to Teide National Park at about 1.30pm. The flames were fought
both on land and in the air and fortunately, the fire was brought under control in just a few hours. About half a hectare was burnt and traffic had to be curtailed.
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