The Government of the Canary Islands activated at 22:30 hours the emergency level of the Territorial Emergency Plan of Civil Protection of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands (PLATECA) due to the massive failure of all essential communication services in the archipelago. This situation will continue until communications are fully restored, as operators report that they are still unstable.
Faced with this situation, the Executive has reinforced overnight communications with the island operational coordination centers, as well as with the security forces deployed on the different islands in collaboration with the island councils, the General Corps of the Canary Police, the Intelligent Command, Communication and Control Center (CIMACC) of the National Police and the Security Operations Center (COS) of the Civil Guard and local police.
The massive failure of telephone services meant that citizens were unable to contact the Emergency and Security Coordinating Center (CECOES) 112 normally for three hours. The first difficulties were detected at 20:43 hours, a situation that was reversed at 23:30 hours when all the coordinating center's information and communication systems were restored.
Given the difficulties of citizens accessing 112, the Canary Emergency Service (SUC) deployed all its basic life support ambulances to the different health centers so that they could be contacted by radio with the coordinating center if there was a health emergency. Likewise, the medicalized ambulances were transferred to the Emergency services of the islands' hospitals to serve as a link between 112 and the hospitals.
A new meeting of the PLATECA Advisory Committee is scheduled for the morning to carry out a new evaluation of the impact on basic services with all essential operators.
Another service that was affected was the Canary Islands Government information telephone 012, which regained its operability at 15:30 hours.
The Government of the Canary Islands reminds the public that if they have difficulty accessing 112 and are facing an emergency situation, they should go to the health or police centers in their area. In addition, citizens are requested to follow the information through official information sources and to continue making rational use of mobile telephony until the total restoration of communication services.
