A section of the side facade of a building in the Campo de Ourique area of Lisbon partially collapsed on Saturday afternoon, destroying a parked car. The Lisbon Fire Brigade confirmed that the alert was received at 1:22 PM.
In remarks to SIC Notícias, Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas disclosed that he was passing through the area and was “an eyewitness to this accident that should not have happened.”
“Fortunately, the person in the car immediately got out, and we managed to calm them. However, there are all the people back there who have only this exit [indicating the debris area]. My concern was to determine if anyone lived in that apartment. Fortunately, the son of the woman who previously lived there, but no longer does, arrived,” Moedas stated.
He added, “In essence, we were very lucky here, but there is a responsibility that needs to be determined. I immediately called the firefighters, our police are here, and we will have to work with our urban planning services to understand exactly what happened because it’s a shame that a developer of this caliber, working on a new building, allowed this to occur. Clearly, these works influenced a plot that is still very wet […].”
The mayor affirmed that the incident will be investigated by both municipal services and the PSP. “An investigation will be launched, but it’s really sad that this happens. Especially since these are fragile, older houses, the developer must ensure all safety measures,” he emphasized.
“The most important thing is that there are no victims or injuries,” he noted.
Moedas further explained that, “the first thing” done in coordination with the firefighters and authorities was to close the street because “there was danger, and there is still danger that the rest of that facade could collapse,” stressing the importance of ensuring safety for residents.
“I think it will be a long afternoon, but we will manage to resolve it,” stated the Mayor of Lisbon.
The same television source reported that a couple living above the collapsed apartment was forced to leave their home due to safety concerns.
It should be noted that the road near the collapse site remains closed.
[News updated at 4:04 PM]
