Alexandra Leitão expressed her reaction on Tuesday morning to the preliminary report results regarding the accident with the Elevador da Glória in Lisbon, released on Monday.
The socialist described the preliminary conclusions of the September 3 tragedy, which resulted in the deaths of 16 people, as “extremely serious.”
Apart from the issue of the ‘irregular’ cable, the former candidate reminded that the report points to “a vast array of other severe failures,” such as maintenance being conducted “by eye,” leading to many factors being overlooked.
“Therefore, this report is extremely serious and shows that this grave and tragic accident could have been avoided if there had been no carelessness and negligence,” she argued, adding that “when an accident occurs with 16 deaths and 20 injuries involving a public piece of equipment, which is the responsibility of a municipal company, Carris, there must be clarification, investigation, and accountability down to the smallest detail.”
Leitão further stated, “I say clearly: there is no possibility for the current president of Carris to maintain their position. The trust relationship is completely broken, both with the people of Lisbon and even with their own office.”
Shifting Blame and Intermediate Resignation “Not Enough”
“The current board’s blame-shifting to the previous administration and the resignation of an intermediate manager is insufficient and does not meet the seriousness indicated in the report,” she emphasized.
Alexandra Leitão also revealed that “PS councilors in the Lisbon City Council asked whether all checks had been conducted, if there was a quality verification system in place for maintenance, and the response from Carris at that time was affirmative, but now, this report states otherwise.”
“There is responsibility on the part of Carris and those who oversee it,” proclaimed the socialist.
[News under update]
