A section of a two-story building’s side wall on Rua de Campo de Ourique in Lisbon collapsed early this afternoon, leaving the only two residents temporarily homeless.
According to the director of the Municipal Civil Protection Service, the couple, who were not at home at the time, will stay with family members.
In addition to the building’s residents, there are another 15 indirectly affected units housing 35 people. These units are located in a villa at the rear of number 85, through which public access is provided.
Margarida Castro Martins stated that after the cleanup efforts concluded in the late afternoon, the access point was closed. However, residents can still reach the villa via another building.
Power has been restored to the 15 residences, and the street, which was closed to traffic after the collapse, is set to reopen shortly.
Technical services from the Lisbon City Council will visit the site on Monday “to assess the next steps.”
The mayor of Lisbon, who happened to be on the street at the time of the collapse, emphasized that accountability must be determined, highlighting the possible influence of nearby construction work.
“It is very dangerous. We were very lucky, but this is serious and accountability must be established,” he stressed, suggesting that the collapse of the building’s side wall may have been triggered by ongoing construction on the adjacent land. This comes at a time when “the ground is still very fragile” following recent heavy rains.
Debris from the collapse struck a vehicle, but no injuries were reported.
