Two die in coach crash
Two British women died and seven others were seriously injured in the Canary Islands on 20th September after their tour bus overturned when the brakes apparently failed. At least 45 other people were treated in hospital after the coach carrying 54 Scottish holidaymakers and their tour rep crashed near Mogan, in the south of Gran Canaria. The two women who died were believed to be in their thirties. Two other passengers were said to be in a critical condition and five others suffered serious but non-critical injuries.
A Spanish interior ministry official said the coach's driver, a Spanish woman, steered the vehicle into a crash barrier in an attempt to slow down after the brakes failed near the island's Amadores beach. The bus overturned as it crossed into the oncoming lane but no other vehicle was involved.
Forty-three of the injured, including a three-year-old boy, were taken to a hospital in nearby San Agustin. Two others - a woman with head and stomach injuries and a man with head injuries - were flown by air ambulance to a Hospital in Las Palmas. The medical director at the Clinica Roca, said:
"Most of the injured have fractures or are suffering from cuts and shock. "There are men, women and several children among the injured. The adults are various ages but relatively young. There are no elderly people."
The tourists, who are from all over Scotland flew out from Prestwick airport in Ayrshire on Sunday. They are said to have been returning from a welcome party after arriving during the night at the start of a two-week holiday. A spokesman for the holiday company said: "We are awaiting a full briefing from the police and our overseas representative."
A tourist staying nearby, said he was walking back from the beach to his hotel when he heard a loud bang. "When I turned the corner, I saw the bus on its side. Along with quite a few other people, I ran to the bus and we tried to help as many people as we possibly could to get out. But it was a pretty bad disaster."
The Mogan, later said that the 15-year-old coach had passed all the necessary tests and its papers were in order.
The Telegraph, 20th September, 2004
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