Major Emergency Declared As Huge Chunk Of Cliff Collapses Onto Beach In Canary Islands

A major emergency has been declared in the Canary Islands after a huge chunk of rock fell from a cliff landing on a nearby beach.

The moment was caught on camera as onlookers watched the cliff collapse on to the beach in La Gomera - the second smallest of the Spanish island chain.

It's been classed as an emergency as there's a possibility that campers and tourists could be trapped under the rubble.

The massive cloud of dust that was created was said to have been visible for miles.

Emergency services were called to the scene and sniffer dogs are working to locate anyone that might be trapped under the rubble.

Five people were rescued by helicopter after becoming trapped at a caravan site located just by the cliff.

Other images on social media show camper vans partially buried in rubble from the collapse.

Twitter

The incident took place on Saturday afternoon on the Argaga beach in Valle Gran Rey, a popular tourist destination on the island.

The beach has now been closed off as experts fear that cracks in the cliffs could lead to more falling off.

Walkers were also in the area but as yet, nobody has been reported missing.

The president of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, tweeted about the incident.

Translated, his post reads: "Effective security displaced persons and specialised dogs searching for people.

"Dangerous and prohibited access to site.

"Although it seems stabilised, there are cracks, so the risk of repetition exists. Maximum precaution and all support for the island of La Gomera."

The emergency operation will continue in the area, while all local residents and tourists are being asked to check on all members of their families.

The area is prone to landslides from time to time.

Casimiro Curbelo, the president of La Gomera's island government, said that they remain 'optimistic' that no victims as just before the collapse, small landslides were spotted, causing people to flee the area.

In a joint effort, firefighters, the Red Cross, Civil Protection volunteers, the police, Civil Guard and mountain rescue were all brought in to help with the operation.

Assistance has been sent in from other Canary Islands, including Tenerife.

Topics: World News

Amelia Ward

Amelia is a journalist at LADbible. After studying journalism at Liverpool John Moores and Salford Uni (don't ask), she went into PR and then the world of music. After a few years working on festivals and events, she went back to her roots. In her spare time, Amelia likes music, Liverpool FC, and spending good, quality time with her cat, Paul. You can contact Amelia at [email protected].

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