This was the moment a dramatic landslide near popular Costa del Sol waterfall left hundreds of beachgoers in shock
The spectacular fall of a 30-metre section of the cliff took bathers and kayakers by surprise, although no injuries were reported
Hundreds of swimmers and people in kayaks and other boats who were in the sea between a popular Grande de Maro waterfall and Maro beach (Nerja) on the eastern Costa del Sol on Sunday 27 July were left in shock when rocks and earth suddenly fell into the sea along a thirty metre stretch of the cliffs. However, nobody was injured during the incident.
The rocks fell at around 5.10pm when those nearby reported a loud noise followed by a large cloud of dust. A five-second video taken from Maro beach, which shows the moment the rocks fell from the cliff, has been circulating on social media.
An investigation is now under way to see what caused the rocks to fall into the sea. Sources consulted by SUR have indicated that it may have been caused by a landslide in an area where there are numerous farmers' fields overlooking the very edge of the cliffs. The abundant rainfall so far this year, together with the extreme temperatures of the last few weeks, may have been the cause.
Nerja's Civil Protection teams and Local Police officers, together with the lifeguards working on the beach at the time immediately proceeded to cordon off the area where the landslide occurred. Municipal staff will evaluate the area around the landslide in the next few days to decide what, if any, safety measures to take.
