It is astonishing yet credible. Although the precise number of fatalities resulting from the dreadful DANA that caught the people of Valencia off guard remains unclear, a total of 130 individuals in Tenerife had to be rescued. This occurred despite warnings from the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) regarding the adverse weather in Las Cañadas del Teide; many attempted to ascend, prompting the Tenerife Cabildo to temporarily prohibit foot access to Teide between 4:00 p.m. yesterday and 9:00 a.m. until further notice, in order to ensure public safety.
“This temporary decision was made following events from Saturday the 16th up to today, when we were compelled to evacuate 130 individuals who irresponsibly trekked to the upper section of the Teide cable car,” the island authority announced yesterday.
Specifically, access was barred from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. at the following locations: trail number 7: Montaña Blanca-Pico Teide, the section between the peak of Montaña Blanca and the junction of trails 7 and 11, La Fortaleza viewpoint. Access was also restricted on trail 11, number 23: Regatones Negros, and trail number 9: Teide – Pico Viejo-TF-38.
As the Tenerife Cabildo itself notes, the evacuation of 77 people was coordinated last Saturday, followed by 28 evacuations on Sunday and another 25 yesterday.
“During the weekend, the Teide cable car, which was shut down due to severe weather conditions, was briefly operated to transport individuals. Nonetheless, today the cable car could not be activated due to continuing adverse weather, necessitating intervention from a helicopter from the Government of the Canary Islands, which transported three individuals suffering from altitude sickness to the La Guancha base. Additionally, a team from the Tenerife Firefighters Consortium and the Red Cross rescue unit was deployed to assist with the remaining evacuation,” the Cabildo elaborated yesterday.
After the unfortunate events of last weekend, yesterday saw a meeting attended by the Minister of Natural Environment, Sustainability, Security and Emergencies, Blanca Pérez; the insular director of the Natural Environment, Pedro Millán; the island director of Security and Emergencies, Iván Martín; alongside staff from Teide Cable Car and various technical experts, to discuss the situation.
In this context, Minister Blanca Pérez emphasised that “this measure has been implemented in response to an unprecedented situation encountered over the weekend, where individuals irresponsibly ascended the upper regions of Mount Teide on foot. Since Friday, a pre-alert for rain and storms has been declared by the Government of the Canary Islands. The Teide cable car was closed, temperatures fell below freezing, and despite this, individuals chose to ascend and subsequently activated the emergency button for rescue.”
“The initial measure we are implementing is to prohibit access from four in the afternoon until further notice, until we establish the minimum conditions required for anyone wishing to hike up Teide. We are dealing with high-altitude conditions, where temperatures have dipped to -8 degrees and with ice and frost present. It is not safe to attempt an ascent. Our aim is to regulate this access within a fortnight, so that anyone wishing to scale Teide must meet specific safety conditions and requirements that we plan to introduce,” Minister Blanca Pérez stated yesterday.
Furthermore, another decision made yesterday is that Teleférico del Teide will discontinue the option to purchase a downhill-only ticket to prevent foot access to La Rambleta. “We currently receive around 1,800 requests each month for downhill-only tickets, indicating that the majority of those, being tourists, ascend on foot and later descend by the cable car. We will be removing this option until we can implement new regulations to ensure everyone’s safety.”
1,800 euros per person
Concerning the expenses associated with rescues necessitated by the recklessness of up to 130 individuals from last Saturday to yesterday, the Minister of Natural Environment, Sustainability, Security and Emergencies of the Cabildo de Tenerife, Blanca Pérez (CC), affirmed yesterday that the activation of the helicopter is the responsibility of the Government of the Canary Islands. The Tenerife Firefighters Consortium estimates the cost of rescues at approximately 1,800 euros per person—1,200 euros for the rescue and 600 euros as a fine—thus relevant proceedings will be initiated for the individuals rescued today.
However, it should be noted that a decade ago, the Government of the Canary Islands began imposing such fines on reckless individuals due to the cost incurred during rescues (similarly to measures taken by other regions), although issues arose regarding collection from foreign offenders.
Regardless, the Island Council of Tenerife advises the public to exercise extreme caution during pre-alert, alert, and maximum alert situations affecting the Island, and recommends adherence to the self-protection measures established in these instances to avoid unnecessary risks, such as those experienced in recent days. This message is hoped to be effectively communicated and received by the tourism sector in Tenerife.
