Following a heavy downpour, a cascade of rocks crashed into vehicles on a dangerous road in Tenerife, sparking outrage from a local official. Startling images depict the aftermath of the incident on the treacherous TF-82 route, linking Tamaimo and Santiago del Teide on the Spanish island.
Two drivers involved in the harrowing collision narrowly escaped a catastrophic fate, with reports indicating they were just centimeters away from tragedy but thankfully emerged unscathed while their cars lay in ruins.
In the photos, the rear of a red vehicle bore the brunt of the impact, completely flattened by the rocks. Meanwhile, a white car sustained damage to its hood, with a large boulder resting precariously above the right headlight.
Another image shows debris scattered across a section of road, obstructing passage, with the distant figures of two individuals providing scale to the size of the rocks.
The TF-82 route, known as one of the most perilous on the island, has experienced repeated incidents, leading to a public outcry from Emilio Navarro, the mayor of Santiago del Teide. He took to social media, sharing pictures and emphasizing longstanding warnings about the route’s dangers.
Expressing frustration, Emilio stated, “We have been alerting authorities about the risks on TF-82 for years, urging action from the Tenerife Cabildo. Yet, rockfalls persist. The question remains: what more must occur before preventive measures are implemented?”
Drivers navigating the route, aided by police and maintenance crews from the Cabildo, faced heightened peril from looming rock formations along the roadway during the cleanup operation following the incident.
This recent rockfall incident on TF-82 is not an isolated occurrence, as the road had been closed a month earlier due to a similar event.
In a separate incident last April in Tenerife, fifteen residents were evacuated following a landslide in the island’s northeast, where a large rock crashed onto a property, prompting a response from local authorities and cautioning of traffic disruptions.
As per the WHO, landslides occur when masses of soil, rocks, or debris move down slopes due to natural or human-induced factors, with mudslides and debris flows being common rapid landslide types.
The Canary Islands, a highly popular vacation spot for Britons, welcomed nearly 18 million visitors in 2024, comprising both local and international tourists, as reported by Canarian Weekly.
Of the international visitors, British holidaymakers constituted the largest segment, representing over 40% of all foreign arrivals, with approximately 6.3 million UK tourists visiting the Canary Islands.
Tenerife emerged as the top choice among destinations, drawing more than 6.2 million international visitors and over
