Mallorca in the news: cyclist critically injured, Eurowings emergency landing and a plan to limit vehicle access
On Saturday, August 29, a cyclist was critically injured in a collision with a van on Mallorca, while a Cologne–Mallorca flight made an emergency landing in Paris after smoke appeared in the cabin. Meanwhile, the island's government is advancing a law that could limit the number of vehicles allowed onto Mallorca.
Serious accident on the road to Lluc
On Saturday around midday, a serious collision between a cyclist and a van occurred on the winding mountain road Ma-2130 between Caimari and Lluc in the Tramuntana mountains. The portal "Crónica Balear," cited by "Mallorca Zeitung," reports the crash happened around 12:20 pm: the cyclist, while overtaking a truck, swerved into the oncoming lane just as a Renault Kangoo carrying a man and a woman was passing, striking the windshield head-first and shattering it. "Mallorca Magazin," however, gives a different time — around 12:30 pm — and describes a frontal collision with a van, without mentioning an overtaking maneuver; according to this outlet, the exact cause remains unclear. This source identifies the victim as a 54-year-old German national. Rescuers and police worked for almost an hour to restore the man's pulse before he was taken in critical condition to Son Espases University Hospital in Palma. The road was partially closed to traffic for a time. Both sources note that this stretch of the Ma-2130 is dangerous and has seen repeated accidents involving cyclists — a motorcyclist died there in December 2024, and other serious cyclist collisions occurred in 2018 and 2023.
Emergency landing on a flight to Mallorca
On Saturday evening, Eurowings flight EW590 from Cologne-Bonn to Palma de Mallorca transmitted the emergency code 7700 at around 8,000 meters altitude. The aircraft, carrying 131 passengers plus crew, was actually operated by the Czech airline Smartwings, which flies several planes on Eurowings' behalf. A Eurowings spokesperson said steam had appeared in the rear galley, later specified as coming from an oven there. The pilots decided not to continue to Mallorca and instead landed at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport at around 10 pm. No one was injured. According to WDR, passengers were subsequently put up in hotels and rebooked onto alternative flights. The aircraft is currently being examined by technicians.
Another step toward limiting vehicle access
Separately, the island's push to restrict the number of cars entering Mallorca is moving forward. As reported by mallorca-services.es, Consell de Mallorca president Llorenç Galmés has asked parliament to defend the bill at a plenary session on September 9; the island council approved the draft on June 5. The proposal envisions an annual or biennial cap on vehicles, an entry fee administered by ferry companies, and exemptions for residents and seasonal workers. It also foresees limits on rental cars and fines ranging from 300 to 30,000 euros for violations, along with license-plate recognition cameras installed at ports.
