Tuineje demands education improvements after gas leak at Gran Tarajal primary school
The Town Hall of Tuineje has called on the Government of the Canary Islands to carry out essential works at the CEIP Gran Tarajal to guarantee the safety and proper functioning of the school. The request follows a gas leak detected on Thursday, 8 January, in the school cafeteria, which forced the evacuation of all students.
The municipal government expressed concern over the Education Department’s lack of commitment to the municipality’s schools and demanded that pending actions be completed to prevent similar incidents in the future.
“Our municipal competencies are limited to the maintenance of the buildings. The cafeteria service and its associated infrastructure fall under the Education Department, which is responsible for their correct use and operation,” said Education Councilor David Herrera. “The gas leak was located in facilities linked to the cafeteria, so it is the Education Department that must assume its repair and guarantee safety.”
In an official statement, Herrera also addressed the school’s water tank (aljibe). The town has been working for the past year on its adaptation. While the Island Health Directorate of Fuerteventura requires the installation of an automatic chlorine dispenser, the municipality considers this a new installation, not a maintenance task, and therefore also the responsibility of the Education Department.
The councilor assured that the town is carrying out all maintenance actions within its competence, including the review, renewal, and upkeep of fire‑protection systems. He added, however, that the school is an old building whose structural works—competence of the regional government—remain halted, with no information on when they will resume.
Mayor Candelaria Umpiérrez joined the demands, urging the Education Department to resume the pending works and complete the comprehensive remodeling of CEIP Gran Tarajal so that teaching activities and the safety of students and staff are not compromised.