Weather hinders clear-up efforts after North face rockfall

The Technical Services Department is liaising with a specialist firm of geotechnical engineers as work continues to establish the cause of last Friday’s major rock fall.

An assessment of the North face will be carried out to determine the extent of the risks of further major rock falls in the area.

But Devil’s Tower Road remains closed and traffic restrictions are still in place to ensure the safety of people in the area.

“The continued unsettled weather is currently making this assessment difficult and hampering the clearing out operation,” No.6 Convent Place said in a statement.

“It is therefore not yet possible to state categorically when the road will be reopened.”

Other than the main rock fall at Devil’s Tower Road, there have been reports of a few other minor rock falls in the Upper Rock and also from the slopes directly above the Eco Park at Flint Road.

The Government has an ongoing cliff stabilisation and rock fall protection programme for these and other cliff faces in Gibraltar.

The Government said it was “continuously upgrading and maintaining existing rock fall mitigating measures to reduce the risks associated with the rock fall hazard when these events occur.”