23 Aug 2023 at 14:58
An 80-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday in Tenerife for downing a firefighting helicopter. He threw a stone at the helicopter, damaging a rotor blade. The pilot had to make an emergency landing.
The helicopter was deployed to fight the wildfires on the Spanish island. Tenerife has been ravaged by fierce fires for a week as a result of the heat and drought.
According to the police, the detainee owns a water storage. The helicopter extracted water from there to use for extinguishing. The man disagreed and threw a rock at the vehicle. In doing so, he hit a rotor blade.
Due to his action, the pilot had to land the aircraft on a football field, reports the mayor of the city of Güímar. “We have one less helicopter because someone threw a stone and disabled the helicopter,” said Mayor Rosa Dávila in a statement.
Water in Tenerife is scarce and is mostly found in areas owned by farmers. They are angry because their water is being “taken” for the extinguishing work. Dávila has said that the farmers will be reimbursed for the costs.
Thousands of Tenerife residents have been evacuated due to the fires. Many of them have since returned home. Large fires are still raging on the island, but the fire is now spreading less quickly.
0:49 Play button Receive notifications of important wildfire news. Stay informed with notifications
Image: AFP
Read more about:
TenerifeAbroadWildfires
2023-08-23 12:58:00
#Man #arrested #Tenerife #downing #fire #helicopter #rock
