Heavy rain causes chaos in Tenerife, with massive stones falling on cars
Pictures show the consequences of stones falling on a road in Tenerife, with two cars destroyed in the collision – and the local mayor has demanded action
Torrential rain has caused rocks to fall on vehicles on a dangerous road in Tenerife, in a horrific incident that has sparked outrage from the local mayor. Shocking pictures of the aftermath show two cars destroyed on the cliff-top TF-82 route linking Tamamo and Santiago del Teide, the Spanish island destination.
The two drivers involved in the horrific crash had a remarkable escape, reportedly mere centimeters from disaster, but, unlike the cars, they were fortunately unharmed.
In the images, the rear of a red car is completely crushed by the collision, while a white vehicle has a dent on its bonnet, and a rock is still standing on the front just above the right headlight.
The third photo shows debris strewn across a section of the carriageway that appears impassable, with two men in the distance getting a feel for the size of the rocks.
The two motorists were reportedly only centimeters away from danger(Image: Emilio Navarro, Mayor of Santiago del Teide)
Recognized as one of the island’s most high-risk routes, the spate of incidents drew outrage on social media from Santiago del Teide mayor Emilio Navarro, who posted photos and insisted he had “been warning for years” about the dangers.
Emilio said: “We have been warning for years about the danger to the TF-82, with a formal request to the Tenerife Cabildo. Today we have another reef. The question is simple: what else has to happen before we take action?”
Motorists traveling the route face increased danger from the steep cliffs bordering certain sections of the road, with police and maintenance crews from the Cabildo (Tenerife Island Council) carrying out clean-up operations following the incident.
This is not the first time the dangerous TF-82 has been affected, as the road was closed after a similar incident just a month ago.
The rear part of the red car was completely damaged due to the collision.(Image: Emilio Navarro, Mayor of Santiago del Teide)
In a separate incident in Tenerife last April, fifteen locals were evacuated after a landslide in the north-east of the island, with Spanish media revealing that a large rock had fallen onto a property.
It happened along the TF-13 road in La Laguna, between Bajamar and Punta del Hidalgo. Police and other agencies remained at the scene while the investigation was carried out, with the council warning people of traffic delays.
According to WHO, landslides “occur when large amounts of soil, rocks or debris are moved down a slope due to a natural event or human activity. Landslides or debris flows are also a common type of rapidly occurring landslide.”
The Canary Islands, a hugely popular holiday destination for Britons, are set to attract around 18 million visitors in 2024, including both international and domestic tourists, Canarian Weekly reports.
The largest share of tourists coming on holiday to the Canaries were British holidaymakers, accounting for over 40 per cent of all international arrivals, totaling around 6.3 million UK tourists.
Tenerife proved to be the most sought-after destination, attracting over 900,000 domestic holidaymakers as well as 6.2 million international visitors.
