Tag: landslide

Latest Gran Canaria News, Views & Sunshine

Foundation Investigated for Alleged Mismanagement of Public Funds Meant for Care of Unaccompanied Migrant Minors

The 7th Investigative Court of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has opened a preliminary investigation into the Social Response Foundation Siglo XXI and four of its directors. The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office in Las Palmas filed a complaint against them, alleging crimes that could include forgery of commercial documents, mismanagement, and embezzlement of public funds. The investigation aims to determine whether this nonprofit organisation, and its officials, could have misused public funds intended for the care of unaccompanied migrant minors, during the migration crisis of 2020 that was precipitated by the pandemic confinement on the islands, leading to a build up of arrivals having to be assessed and cared for by the Canary Islands Regional Government, using hotels left empty due to the lack of tourism. The estimated amount involved in the alleged misuse stands at around €12.5 million between 2020 and 2022 on Gran Canaria alone.

 

Canary Islands Expect Rain and Potential Storm Weather Next Week

The Canary Islands are preparing for a change in the weather next week, as a significant increase in cloud is expected bringing higher probability of rain. The effects of a powerful storm forming in the Atlantic Ocean are likely to extend to the Canary Islands as well as neighbouring Madeira and The Azores.

 

The Canary Guide #WeekendTips 2-4 June 2023

June is here and that means that summer is just around the corner. The Patron Saints’ festivities in honour of San Juan de Bautista and San Antonio de Padua are just getting started on Gran Canaria, and in Pueblo de Mogán the main Romería pilgrimage for San Antonio El Chico is this first Saturday of June, as well as the start of the build up to those in Arucas, Santa Brígida and Moya. This weekend also brings the biggest outlet fair shopping experience back to INFECAR and a collectables fair in Gáldar.
OPERATION KILO is this weekend, at all participating supermarkets, asking you to add a few non-perishable food items to the Food Bank collection boxes to help families in need.

Vox Enters Canarian Politics, Stage Right: Anti-Migrant, Anti-Feminist, Anti-Green, Anti-Autonomy, Anti-LGBT, Anti-Multiculturalism, Pro-Franco politics find a foothold on The Canary Islands

The Canary Islands were unable to avoid the rise of the far right on Sunday, unlike in 2019, writes Natalia G. Vargas in Canarias Ahora. Vox, which previously had no representation on the islands, managed to make its presence felt in several municipalities and councils this May 28. They also secured seats in the Canary Islands’ regional parliament, securing four deputies. “Defending what is ours, our own, and fighting against insecurity” were the slogans that underpinned Vox’s campaign in The Canary Islands, along with “family, employment, and freedom.” This rhetoric, coupled with an electoral program that was repeated across all local elections in Spain, proved sufficient. Dozens of cities and towns on the islands welcomed their first far right candidates of the modern democratic era into Canarian politics, with urban areas serving as their main strongholds.

La Alcaldesa Bueno Secures Incredible Majority in Mogán

Mogán, May 29, 2023 – The often controversial incumbent, O Bueno, La Alcaldesa, has achieved an unprecedented and resounding victory once more in Mogán. The candidate who switched her party’s name, for these elections, to “Juntos por Mogán”, a local ally of the regionalist conservatives “Coalición Canaria” (CC), will once again assume the role of mayor. Her party has clinched a rather noteworthy 17 out of the 21 seats in the Municipal Council of this popular tourism destination located on the sunny southwest of Gran Canaria.

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Spectacular El Hierro rockslide caught on camera in The Canary Islands on Monday March 15 2021

A spectacular rockslide has been caught on camera in The Canary Islands, this time on the island of El Hierro, when rocks and debris fell from a high cliff in an area known as El Golfo, located in the municipality of Frontera. The exact site of the rockfall is known as the ‘Fuga de Tibataje’.

 

It is a very rugged, isolated and uninhabited area on the sweeping western north coast of this western-most island. Fortunately, at the time of the rockslide there were no people in the area and no one has been reported injured. Landslides here can be quite frequent, due to the volcanic and geological formations of the rock structures in the area with sheer cliffs descending from high altitude on this active volcanic island. Residents say they do not remember any similar landslides as spectacular as this one.

In the images recorded by locals in the area large amounts of debris crumbles to the foot of the cliff without any reported damage to nearby homes or the nearest access road.

A similar episode was also caught on camera, last November on a neighbouring island. There an impressive avalanche of rocks also fell from a cliff onto a beach, known as Argaga, on the west coast of the island of La Gomera, in Valle Gran Rey and the rockslide was caught on camera by terrified tourists. More than 1 million visitors came to see and share the video.

In this case, agents were deployed to the scene and a tracking operation initiated to check if anyone could have been trapped behind the debris. Fortunately, no injuries appear to have resulted from the rockfall.
El Hierro is the archipelago’s youngest island and in 2012 was the scene of a major submarine volcanic eruption off the south coast following weeks of seismic swarms caused by thousands of earth tremors.
Spectacular, wild and tranquil, this island still has plenty of volcanic activity and two interpretation centres where you can visit and find out more about the evolution of the Canary Islands, as it happens

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The Canary News

Search team rescue dogs verify that no-one was caught in La Gomera landslide

Search team rescue dogs have been able to confirm there were no casualties in Saturday’s rockfall.  All residents living near where a massive landslide yesterday afternoon occurred, the area known as Argaga on the west coast of La Gomera island, have now been located, the local Cabildo (island government) has announced, along with all visitors known to have been in the area yesterday where a cliff spectacularly collapsed into the sea.
The search was carried out using specially trained rescue dogs  by the volunteers of the AEA Emergency Rescue Unit, while nearby accommodation in the municipality of Valle Gran Rey was also visited, to locate anyone who might have been at the sandy beach of Playa Las Arenas in Argaga yesterday, part of the neighbouring Vallehermoso municipality but which is accessed along a road from Valle Gran Rey.
Having confirmed that no-one is missing, work in the area will now focus the work on stabilising the cliff face and on seeking alternatives that allow communication in this nucleus of the Vallehermoso municipality.
The collapse occurred yesterday afternoon sparking an emergency operation coordinated by the Island Cabildo, with cooperation from the local councils of Vallehermoso and Valle Gran Rey, Protección Civil, Volunteer Firefighters, Road Maintenance Services, Guardia Civil, Policía Local, Red Cross, the SUC Canary Islands Emergency Service and three GES helicopters.
Evacuations from the area were ordered, the Government of the Canary Islands activated their PLATECA Territorial Emergency Plan for Civil Protection along with several more deployments to the island including the Policía Canaria, the Red Cross, the AEA search team and rescue dogs as well as members of the GES (Grupo de Emergencias y Salvamento de Canarias).

 

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The Canary News

La Gomera landslide caught on camera, rescue workers are searching for anyone injured

 
A La Gomera landslide caused by the massive collapse of part of a cliff this Saturday afternoon, was captured on video on the west coast of the island of La Gomera, in Valle Gran Rey.
Several people in the vicinity witnessed the rockfall. Images show a large vertical cliff face suddenly collapsing into the sea, raining debris onto a coastal path, used to access Argaga beach, known as Las Arenas beach, where caravans and other vehicles often park, causing several cars to completely disappear from view or to be at least partially covered by dust and falling stone.

Seconds before rock fall
Two GES helicopters from the 1-1-2 Emergency and Security Coordination Centre (CECOES), Civil Guard, Local Police, Civil Protection and volunteer firefighters have been working for the last couple of hours to try to find people who may have been trapped under the rocks. A Canary Islands Emergency Service (SUC) team and council workers from the Valle Gran Rey and Vallehermoso municipalities have traveled to the site to urgently search for anyone who was near the vehicles or using the beach access.  There are very serious concerns that the La Gomera landslide may have caused catastrophic injury and loss of life appears quite likely.
The Cabildo de Tenerife, is collaborating with the Security and Emergency Directorate to mobilise the Red Cross Mountain Detachment Rescue team from the Teide National Park, in a deployment underway to attend to those possibly affected by the landslide.
The road between Vueltas and Argaga has been closed as parts of it are currently under a large amount of fallen rock and other debris.

? ? Trabajan ya en la zona: 2 helicópteros del Gobierno de Canarias, Guardia Civil, Policia Local, Bomberos Voluntarios de Valle Gran Rey, Protección Civil, AEA, personal del Ayuntamiento de Valle Gran Rey y Vallehermoso. pic.twitter.com/OQ0Wjj7jJt
— Ayuntamiento de Valle Gran Rey (@Ayto_VGR) November 14, 2020

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The Canary News

Rockfall on road passing Amadores on the south of the island

A landslide left this monster rock on the roadway in the area of ​​Amadores (Mogán) during the early hours of Monday morning.  Strong winds and light rain was enough to dislodge it from the hillsides above, leading locals to ask when was the last time the hillsides were checked for loose debris?
There were not thought to be any injuries, but the danger is of course obvious to anyone who sees the size of these rocks.  Road maintenance crews were quick to clear the debris.  Though no official statement has been received from Mogán council.
More rocks had also fallen on pedestrian paths, and there is now legitimate worry that rough weather might bring more rubble down on to the roads and byways in the area.
Our thanks to eager news beavers Seija and Potter for these images.
Anyone who has had to travel to Puerto de Mogán in the last six months will be aware that a major rockfall caused the closure of the GC500 between the resorts of Taurito and Puerto de Mogán, with no information yet as to if or when it might be reopened, leaving motorists with no choice but to go via Puerto Rico should they need to travel between the two neighbouring valleys, adding nearly 20km to every journey.
Remember in an emergency you can always call 112

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