At least five people have died after a wooden footbridge collapsed at El Bocal Beach near Santander, northern Spain. The victims, all described as young to middle-aged women, were part of a group of seven when the walkway gave way around 4.30pm on Tuesday, March 3. They fell into the water and onto rocks below.
The casualties included pupils aged 20 to 25 from a specialist education centre in Cantabria, studying agriculture and environmental sciences, along with a teacher. They were walking between the beach and the Spanish Institute of Oceanography. The search for two missing people continues, involving coastguards, firefighters, police, and a helicopter.
Santander's mayor, Gema Igual, visited the scene and said: 'They had come to enjoy the area's natural environment and suffered this accident.' The death toll initially stood at four but rose to five overnight after a victim died in hospital. A sixth woman remains in intensive care at Marques de Valdecilla University Hospital, and a seventh person is still missing.
