For Emergencies: The Underground Tunnel Maze beneath Ses Veles in Bunyola

For Emergencies: The Underground Tunnel Maze beneath Ses Veles in Bunyola

Key question: How safe is the underground facility under the Ses Veles industrial park really — and what is missing for it to protect people in an emergency?

If you drive through Bunyola in the morning, the first sounds are the trucks laboring up the slope and, occasionally, motorcyclists on the MA-11. The Ses Veles industrial park lies somewhat off the main road, a flat strip of warehouse roofs and paved access ways. Beneath this surface, according to available information, is a system of tunnels and shafts built about twenty years ago, originally intended to make water, electricity and telephone lines accessible without repeatedly tearing up the asphalt.

The idea sounds practical: consolidating utilities underground to simplify repairs. But in recent days the subject has caused alarm because the labyrinth is said to be large enough to offer protection to several people in the event of an armed conflict. That is one perspective. The other is the present-day reality: illegal piles of construction debris, car wrecks and rubbish accumulate on the site, according to residents and tradespeople. The combination of a neglected surface and allegedly extensive underground structures raises questions.

My critical analysis: the facility may be technically extensive, but functional protection and usability are two different matters. First: who decides who gets access? It was mentioned that the entrances are guarded. Guarding does not automatically mean orderly emergency opening. Second: a utility corridor is not automatically a shelter: ventilation, emergency lighting, water supplies, sanitary facilities, fire protection and secure entrances are indispensable. Third: safety and liability issues — who is liable for accidents underground? Is the municipality responsible or the industrial park operators?

Much is currently missing from the public discourse: transparency about ownership and technical data (floor plans, ventilation, load-bearing capacity), an official inspection report on condition and safety, concrete statements on capacity and access for people with reduced mobility. A clear emergency plan is also lacking — one that describes how people would be notified, guided in, and brought back out in a crisis. At the moment speculation and worry dominate — and that helps no one. Local debates around subterranean infrastructure, such as plans to remodel the Génova tunnel in Palma, show the need for public inspections.

A mundane scene from Bunyola highlights the discrepancy: on a rainy afternoon I watched an old van stop next to a warehouse entrance, three men get out and unload mattresses and kitchen appliances into a dark corner. The barrier to the park is hardly noticed; the place feels half-abandoned. At the same time I wonder looking at the torn grass and ripped roadside strips: if people are supposed to find shelter underground here, is this the right condition?

Concrete solutions are possible and realistic. In the short term the municipality should commission a technical inventory: professional surveying of the tunnels, inspection of ventilation and escape routes, fire safety tests and a safety assessment. This investigation must be public and transparent. At the same time the surface should be tidied up: remove illegal dumping, secure access roads and install signage.

In the medium term a binding emergency and operator plan is needed: who opens the facility, who provides power and light, how is capacity managed, how long can people remain there? For this the municipality, the industrial park operators, civil protection and emergency services must work together and document clear responsibilities. Drills and information campaigns for residents and park employees would create routine for an emergency, and long-term coordination with regional transport projects, such as plans to extend the metro to Son Espases hospital, would also affect access and evacuation routes.

Practically, some measures can take effect immediately: entrances that are currently unsecured should be fitted with standardized locking mechanisms that can be remotely opened by emergency services in a crisis. Storage for drinking water, basic medical supplies and flashlights should be set up at central points. Entrances must be designed so that older people or those using walking aids can enter in an emergency.

What must not happen: the facility continue to be ...