EuroWire, SANTANDER: Five people were killed and one person remained missing after a wooden footbridge on a coastal path collapsed near El Bocal beach in the northern Spanish city of Santander, authorities said. A seventh person survived and was hospitalized after the incident on Tuesday, March 3, in Cantabria, where the walkway spans cliffs above the sea.
Officials said the victims were part of a group of seven vocational training students from the CIFP La Granja de Heras center in Medio Cudeyo who were walking along the seafront route when the structure gave way in the late afternoon. The students fell several meters onto rocks and into the water below. Emergency services were alerted shortly after the collapse, and rescuers reached the area by land, boat and air.
Four women and one man, all aged 19 to 22, died from their injuries, according to officials involved in the response and investigation. One young woman was still unaccounted for in the waters off the beach as of Thursday, March 5. The sole survivor was being treated at the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, where officials said she remained in intensive care in serious condition.
Search operations continue
Rescue teams renewed the search at first light Thursday with patrol boats, divers and helicopters working close to the shoreline and along the base of the cliffs. Authorities said they were also using drones to help scan the water and rocky inlets, including equipment designed to operate below the surface. The area around the collapsed footbridge was sealed off while the operation continued, and the coastal path remained closed near the site.
A judicial investigation was opened in Santander, and the National Police began gathering evidence from the damaged structure and taking statements as part of preliminary proceedings. Municipal officials said they were compiling documentation for the court and coordinating with regional emergency services. Investigators have not released findings on the cause of the collapse, and authorities said conclusions would depend on technical reports.
Safety measures and oversight
The collapse has intensified scrutiny of the wider coastal route, known locally as the Senda Costera, which runs between Cabo Mayor lighthouse and the Virgen del Mar area. Santander’s local police cordoned off two nearby wooden footbridges of similar design at the request of the national coastal authority, officials said. The closures were described as precautionary steps while checks were carried out on adjacent structures.Authorities also confirmed that a resident contacted the 112 emergency coordination center the day before the collapse to report concerns about the footbridge’s condition, and that the information was passed to local police.
Santander’s city government said it had requested a formal report on that call to include in the court file. Mayor Gema Igual and Environment Secretary of State Hugo Morán visited the area and said their administrations would cooperate fully with the investigation. The vocational training center declared days of mourning, and regional officials said support services were being provided to relatives and classmates as families gathered in Cantabria to receive official updates. Rescuers said efforts to locate the missing student would continue alongside the police and court inquiry into the collapse near El Bocal beach, authorities said.