British tourist dies and dozens injured after bus plunges off road in Canary Islands

The crash happened shortly after 1.15pm local time on Friday on the GM-2 road, which winds through the island’s rugged interior towards the capital, San Sebastián de La Gomera. The vehicle, carrying 27 British tourists — including three children — and a driver, was travelling from Playa de Santiago to the port, where the group was due to catch a ferry to Tenerife at the end of their holiday.

According to emergency services, the bus left the road near a tunnel on a bend and came to rest on its side several metres below the carriageway on steep, rocky terrain. Images shared online showed the white coach overturned beneath a sharp hairpin bend.

A 77-year-old British man died, while all 27 other occupants suffered injuries of varying severity. Four people were reported to be in a serious condition, including the 63-year-old driver. Two passengers — aged 73 and 42 — with traumatic injuries were airlifted by helicopter to hospitals in Tenerife, while others were taken to Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Hospital on La Gomera. None of the three children on board were believed to have been seriously injured.

Emergency services said: ‘Emergency health services attended to the 28 occupants of the bus, 27 tourists of British nationality and the driver. We can confirm one male has died and 27 people have suffered injuries of varying degrees of severity.’

The Canary Islands government declared a mass-casualty emergency and activated its civil protection plan, deploying helicopters, ambulances and rescue teams to the scene. Official sources said: ‘All those affected are foreign tourists, and two helicopters are working at the scene, one from the Canary Islands emergency service and another from the emergency and rescue group, as well as several ambulances equipped for medical transport, which have already carried out several transfers to the island’s hospital.’

Initial indications point to a possible brake failure. Local reports said the driver told police the brakes failed as the bus descended a hill, and that he tried to steer onto a dirt track in an effort to stop the vehicle before it left the road. Juan Luis Navarro, the Spanish government’s representative on the island, said the driver ‘tried to fight to avoid coming off until he eventually went down the slope’, adding that the bus ‘fortunately stopped shortly after coming off, because otherwise it could have been much more serious’.

Guardia Civil officers have launched an investigation, examining skid marks and taking witness statements. Gomera Tours, the company that owns the bus, said its vehicles were properly maintained and ‘up to date’ with inspections, adding it had received no prior complaints from drivers about that stretch of road.

The group had been staying at the El Balcón de Santa Ana resort, operated by tour provider Holiday Property Bond. A representative for the company said the journey was an ‘end of holiday return transfer’ using a ‘regular transfer vehicle’. A hotel receptionist confirmed to Spanish media: ‘They had left the hotel to head to Tenerife on the ferry. They were all British.’

The crash occurred on a notoriously challenging mountain route. Around a year ago, another fatal bus accident took place on the same road, just over a mile away.

Spanish and UK officials expressed their condolences. Canary Islands president Fernando Clavijo said: ‘My support to the victims and their families.’ Spain’s minister for territorial policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, described the incident as ‘tragic news’ and said he was closely following developments.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: ‘We are supporting the family of a British man who died in the bus accident in the Canary Islands and are in contact with the local authorities.’

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper added: ‘My thoughts are with those affected by the tragic incident involving a bus carrying British holidaymakers in the Canary Islands.’

Authorities are continuing to assess the condition of the injured as the investigation into the cause of the crash proceeds. Weather warnings for wind and rain had been issued across parts of the Canary Islands in recent days, although it remains unclear whether conditions played any role.

The Canary Islands, known for their warm climate and scenic landscapes, remain one of Spain’s most popular tourist destinations, attracting more than 15 million visitors in 2025, according to national statistics.