12 March 2024 , 09:56
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A baby killed in a tragic horror crash in Lanzarote was a British national, officials have said, while members of the infant's family were also injured.
The five-month-old, whose gender and name have not yet been released, died after a car mounted a pavement hitting pedestrians on a street in Playa Blanca on the Canary island on Monday evening. Authorities on the island have now confirmed the youngster was a British national, while the baby's father and grandmother were also seriously injured.
Four Brits in total were injured in the horror smash, while two women from Sweden - a mother and daughter - were also hurt. The tragic news comes after officials confirmed that the driver of the vehicle had been a 23-year-old British woman under investigation over suspicions she had been drinking and taking drugs.
Issuing an update on the crash, a spokesman for Yaiza Town Hall said: “Two people from Sweden, a mother and daughter, were hurt. Four people from the UK were injured along with the baby that died.
The scene of the crash at the tourist resort of Playa Blanca (SOLARPIX.COM)“The mother and father of the youngster are among the injured as well as the baby’s two maternal grandparents. The father of the baby and the baby’s grandmother are the most seriously injured.”
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He added: “The driver is not being held in custody at the moment. She lives on the island and is easily locatable. The drink and drug tests were practiced at the scene.” Meanwhile Yaiza's mayor Oscar Noda said on Tuesday that all four Brits injured in the Playa Blanca accident yesterday remained in hospital.
Two days of mourning and a minute's silence were declared by the local town hall in response to the tragedy. Mr Noda said: “The accident caused seven victims, including the five-year-old baby that died. The survivors came from two families, one from Sweden and the other of British origin.
The local town's mayor declared a minute's silence following the tragedy (SOLARPIX.COM)“They are the parents of the child that died and the baby’s maternal grandparents. The ones in the worst condition this morning are the baby’s father and maternal grandmother. All the survivors are still in hospital. We hope they all recover.”
He added: “I am going to declare two days of mourning and tomorrow at midday a minute’s silence will be held at the doors of the town hall. The British family were walking along the pavement in a correct and normal way when they were mown down by a vehicle that was totally out of control. The moments that followed were very delicate and very traumatic.”