Survivors Describe Bus Crash as ‘Horror Movie’ Scene
Survivors of a tragic bus crash in the Canary Islands have described the scene as resembling a “horror movie,” with passengers left “hanging upside down by their seatbelts.” The incident occurred on Friday afternoon when a packed tourist bus veered off a road on a bend on La Gomera before plunging 100ft down a ravine.
A 77-year-old British man lost his life in the accident. Twenty-seven others were injured and taken to hospital, including two British men aged 73 and 42 who sustained “severe multiple injuries.” All survivors, including three minors, have since been released from hospital and are receiving support from consular officials and experts at the island’s Bancal Hotel & Spa.
One British couple staying at the hotel, who chose to remain anonymous, described the crash as “something out of a horror movie.” They said they felt “time slowed down” during the incident, adding that they “went head over heels twice.” Although they had their seatbelts on, they ended up hanging from their seats once the bus came to a stop.
Other survivors of the crash, which saw the bus fall 50ft into rocks, described the event as “traumatising and terrifying.” One survivor told a hotel guest it was a “miracle” that they survived, while another said, “We thought we were all going to die.”
The passengers were traveling to the port at San Sebastian de La Gomera to catch a ferry to Tenerife for their flights back to Britain when the bus went off the road. Investigations are ongoing, but it is believed that a brake failure caused the crash. Spanish police are examining the coach’s “black box” recorder, although they have not yet spoken to the vehicle’s driver, who suffered serious injuries.
As of Sunday afternoon, the driver, a local man believed to be in his 50s, is being treated in hospital on the neighboring island of Tenerife.
Juan Luis Navarro, the Spanish government’s representative on the Canary Islands, stated that the driver “tried to fight” when he detected the brake failure. He mentioned that the Civil Guard has begun interviewing passengers onboard the ill-fated vehicle, though some passengers may not be in a position to collaborate fully.
Mr. Navarro said, “It must have rolled at least once or twice because the direction in which the bus came to rest wasn’t straight. It was on its side. I understand that it rolled two or three times. I don’t know for sure because there are many expert analyses that the Civil Guard has to carry out.”
He added that it was “very important” for the Civil Guard to interview the widow of the British man who died. It is understood that she was seated beside him at the time of the crash and only discovered her husband’s death once in the hospital.
La Gomera Tours, the bus owner and operator, insisted in the aftermath of the tragedy that all its vehicles were “up to date” with inspections. They also claimed they were unaware of any incidents or complaints from their drivers regarding that stretch of road. A representative told Spanish media that the driver is experienced and passes the spot where the crash occurred “virtually every day.”
However, the crash is not an isolated incident on that particular part of the road. Last year, a 73-year-old Spanish woman was killed and 11 others were injured when a public bus overturned on the same stretch of road.
