Homes have been evacuated in Tenerife after a landslide in the north-east of the island. Spanish media report that it came after a large rock fell on a home on Tuesday afternoon.
The English language Canarian Weekly website says the landslide happened in La Laguna along the TF-13 road, between the town of Bajamar and the village of Punta del Hidalgo, in La Laguna. The website says fifteen residents have been evacuated.
Police and other agencies are now at the scene and local traffic is affected. The area is not the busiest part of the island but still has hotels and restaurants and is popular with tourists looking for more peaceful visit.
People have been warned by the Tenerife Island Council of traffic delays while investigations are carried out. Nobody has been injured in the incident but authorities are on high alert for further landslides.
The Spanish language website Radio Television Canaria (RTVC) reports that technicians from the La Laguna City Council and the Tenerife Island Council are at the scene. They are assessing the risk of further landslides on the slope.
As part of this, they are exploring whether it is safe for people to return to their homes.
The site also reports that local police and Civil Guard officers have been managing traffic in the area.
RTVC also reports that the Tenerife Fire Brigade Consortium used a drone to conduct an initial check on the slope.
Canarian Weekly said that a rock broke loose from a hillside next to the main road before hitting the house.
According to the Visiting Tenerife website, La Laguna – known in full as San Cristobal de La Laguna – is the second biggest city after Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It is an important historical centre.
The site says: “La Laguna sits in the Aguere valley at the foot of the Anaga mountains. The surrounding countryside is very pretty and if you drive up into the hills you can get some fabulous views of the town below, nestled in amongst the hills.”
According to the WHO, landslides “occur when large masses of soil, rocks or debris move down a slope due to a natural phenomenon or human activity. Mudslides or debris flows are also a common type of fast-moving landslide.
The WHO says landslides can accompany heavy rains or follow droughts, earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. It says that areas most vulnerable to landslides include:
- steep terrain, including areas at the bottom of canyons;
- land previously burned by wildfires;
- land that has been modified due to human activity, such as deforestation or construction;
- channels along a stream or river;
- any area were surface runoff is directed or land is heavily saturated