A large landslide and rocks kept the AP-66, the main communication route between Asturias and Lionwith no evidence of injuries or vehicles trapped under the rubble.
The collapse of the slope, which affected all four lanes of the highway, occurred around 10:15 a.m. at kilometer 76, around the Entrerregueras rest area, fourteen kilometers from the town of Pola. Lena, according to the Armed Institute and the Government Delegation in the Principality.
The agents have diverted traffic from the AP-66 – along which a daily average of 6,000 vehicles and 1,200 trucks pass – in La Magdalena and Lena to circulate on the N-630, in the port of Pajares.
As a result of the landslide, a total of 161 vehicles – 145 cars, 14 trucks and two buses with passengers – have remained blocked, in the direction of León, for more than two hours until they were evacuated by the Civil Guard around 12:30 p.m. .
Spacious device
After the collapse occurred, members of several citizen security patrols of the Civil Guard from nearby areas, as well as the Greim de Mieres with a search dog for missing persons in large areas.
Several Asturian Firefighters have also been mobilized, traveling with a drone unit and canine guides.
On a visit to the area, the Government delegate in Asturias, Adriana Lastrapointed out to the media late in the morning that, “in principle”, there are no vehicles trapped under the landslide after verification by the deployed operation.
“It seems to be the good news that there are no people buried, but we are saying all this with some caution, but, in principle, it seems that way,” he commented.
Along the same lines, the Minister of Transport, Oscar Puentestated, on the social network .
Late in the afternoon, the sources consulted by EFE indicate that there is still no record of injuries.
Debris work
The Government delegate explained that, from now on, the state of the slope will be evaluated in order to carry out containment work, since the important thing, at this time, is to guarantee “safety” before beginning the clearing of debris. .
The company Aucalsa, concessionaire of the road, will work with “prudence” and “a lot of security” in the removal of the material with the aim that the road can be opened “as soon as possible”, according to its general director, Eduardo Arrojo.
The head of the company has explained that “the entire fleet” in the company available will be mobilized to advance in these works in which maximum safety will be guaranteed because it cannot be “exposed to anyone.”
Thus, he has indicated that, first, work will be done “day and night” to open a service road so that workers and machines can access and, subsequently, begin work to open the road furthest from the detached slope – sense León – and enable a ‘bypass’ with one lane in each direction.
Concern of the parties
He PP He has expressed his “deep concern” at what happened, which reveals “the insufficiency of communications in Asturias” while at the same time he has claimed the importance of designing a map of Argayos in the community.
The Secretary General of Asturias Forum and deputy, Adrian Pumareswho has insisted on the need to create this map “to identify risk areas and prevent landslides” and has asked to “investigate whether the company concessionaire of a toll that has been declared illegal by the EU invests the necessary resources in guaranteeing the safety of the road.”
The parliamentarian of the mixed group Covadonga Tome He has demanded that the Ministry of Transport act “strongly” against Aucalsa after the dispute and discover “what happened to cause this detachment to occur and clarify responsibilities.”
Aina He has also demanded clarification of responsibilities. From the Asturian formation they have pointed out the need to improve communications through Payaresas well as providing more resources to the secondary road network.
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