The death of a 22-year-old man after a palm tree collapsed onto his vehicle on the CV-905 in Torrevieja has prompted widespread outrage and renewed demands for accountability over the management of the city’s green zones and urban trees.
Both PSOE Torrevieja and Sueña Torrevieja have issued statements expressing condolences to the victim’s family and urging urgent reviews of safety, inspection, and maintenance procedures. The tragedy has reignited long-standing criticism of how the municipality manages its public spaces, particularly palm trees, which are vulnerable to pests and structural decay.
PSOE Questions Contract Oversight and Municipal Responsibility
PSOE spokesperson Bárbara Soler called for a full investigation into whether the obligations of the current green zone maintenance contract, awarded in March 2025, were being properly fulfilled at the time of the incident.
Soler explained that the contract required the awarded company to submit a detailed report on the conservation and phytosanitary condition of all municipal vegetation within the first months of operation, along with an annual maintenance plan and subsequent monthly reports. These documents, she said, should have been filed by June at the latest.
“The mayor’s announcement of new inspections of Torrevieja’s 5,500 palm trees is not a new safety initiative — it is a contractual obligation already being paid for with public money,” Soler said. “This company will receive €113 million from Torrevieja residents, and such inspections form part of what they are contracted to do, not a goodwill gesture.”
She also recalled that another palm tree had fallen on the Paseo Vistalegre in June, though fortunately without injury, and that no general review was ordered at the time. The PSOE argues that this pattern raises doubts about whether contractual safety requirements have been properly monitored.
Soler noted that the party has requested the full contract file to verify whether the required inspections and reports were completed, and to identify where any failures may have occurred. “The saddest part of this story,” she said, “is that this might have been preventable.”
The PSOE has repeatedly warned of declining maintenance standards across the municipality, particularly in the urbanisations, where they say the same company previously failed to meet obligations under the old contract yet continued to receive monthly payments of €260,000.
“We cannot depend on luck,” Soler said. “Torrevieja residents deserve guarantees — not empty reassurances — that safety standards are met and enforced.”
Sueña Torrevieja Calls for Permanent Prevention Plan
Local independent group Sueña Torrevieja also expressed condolences and urged that current emergency measures not remain temporary. Spokesperson Pablo Samper stressed that prevention must become a routine and verifiable process, rather than a reaction to tragedy.
“The reviews and tree removals now taking place are necessary,” Samper said, “but these cannot be isolated actions. They must be the beginning of a permanent, preventive plan to ensure the safety of all residents.”
Samper called for better coordination between the Town Hall, the contracted company, and regional authorities, as well as full public access to technical reports and inspection results. He also proposed:
- A permanent and periodic inspection programme for trees in high-traffic areas.
- Stronger pest control — particularly against the red palm weevil, which weakens palm structures.
- Transparent publication of all maintenance and safety reports.
- Technical risk assessments to guide tree management decisions.
“Our aim is not to politicise a tragedy,” Samper said, “but to make sure prevention becomes the norm — not the reaction.”
Shared Responsibility and Public Confidence
Both political groups agree that this incident highlights deeper, systemic failures in urban maintenance and oversight. With the same contractor now responsible for green zones, waste collection, and irrigation networks, critics say the lack of independent monitoring has left safety and accountability in question.
For residents, the tragedy has become a stark reminder of how years of underinvestment and fragmented planning continue to carry human costs. As investigations continue, both the PSOE and Sueña Torrevieja have vowed to pursue transparency, responsibility, and lasting preventive measures — so that such a tragedy “never happens again.”