Costa lorries impounded in Ibiza over Xylella risk
LORRIES from Dénia were stopped at Ibiza ferry port and banned from entering the island due to the risk of spreading the destructive Xylella Fastidiosa bacteria - the first known case of vehicles being prevented from docking because of the swarm.
According to a recent publication in an IbizaFormentera news portal, four HGVs were held up at the harbour on arrival a week ago on Monday because of 'deficiencies in paperwork' relating to the crop-destroying weevil.
All the vehicles were loaded up with plants and had travelled from Dénia on the ferry, and the fact that they had come from the Marina Alta where the bug is rife was enough to lead port authorities to stop them in their tracks.
Balearic ports periodically carry out random stop-checks on cargoes of plants from the mainland due to the presence of the Xylella Fastidiosa, or Oleander Leaf Scorch, but until this month, no vehicle had been seized and impounded.
It is not known whether they were permitted to unload eventually, or sent back to Dénia.
Four new cases of Oleander Leaf Scorch in Ibiza were reported in January, in addition to the 190 already detected since 2016 in Formentera.
Up to and including October, a total of 800 trees of 21 different species in the Balearics were found to have been infected. A WOMAN had to be airlifted from a Benitachell cove on Sunday after access difficulties prevented the emergency services from moving her to a nearby ambulance.
The lady was walking near the Cove dels Testos, which is reached by a steep path, when she slipped and fell, badly injuring her ankle.
Her husband, who was accompanying her, called the emergency services. Civil protection, local police and Guardia civil officers all arrived to help, but once they had immobilised her ankle, realised that taking her back up the path would possibly cause more danger.
They called the Alfa 1 helicopter, which arrived at about 13.30 and flew her to a waiting ambulance at Benidorm fire station.
The officers on duty then accompanied her husband back up the precarious steps and he left to join his injured wife.
Their ages and nationalities were not disclosed.