Building Collapse in Graça Displaces Residents, Mayor Orders Inquiry
The partial collapse of a residential building in Lisbon’s historic Graça district early this morning has displaced at least 16 people and triggered an official inquiry into its cause. The side wall of the building located at number 41 on Rua do Sol à Graça, in the parish of São Vicente, gave way at approximately 3:00 AM on Wednesday, according to the Lisbon Firefighters Regiment.
Emergency crews were dispatched to the scene, where they found a significant amount of debris had fallen onto the street, damaging a parked vehicle. No casualties were reported in the incident. Officials from Lisbon's Municipal Civil Protection confirmed that residents from the collapsed building and its immediate neighbors were evacuated as a safety precaution. Of the 16 individuals initially displaced, eight from an adjacent building were later cleared to return to their homes after a safety assessment.
The remaining eight residents from the structurally compromised building have been provided with temporary accommodation in a hotel by the Lisbon municipality. Margarida Castro Martins, a representative for the Municipal Civil Protection, detailed the housing situation, confirming the split between those who could return and those requiring relocation. A local resident, Graciete Magalhães, described being woken by a loud noise she initially mistook for a car crash, only to be alerted by her children that the neighboring building had fallen.
Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas arrived at the location to survey the damage and speak with authorities. He assured the public that there were no injuries and announced that a formal investigation would be launched immediately. “Há aqui um inquérito a fazer, o que é que se passou, se a obra está licenciada, quais os papéis que têm porque isto não devia ter acontecido, nem pode acontecer,” Moedas stated, emphasizing the need to verify the licensing and documentation of recent construction work at the site.
The initial technical inspection has determined that the building is structurally unstable and will require immediate stabilization with shoring. Margarida Castro Martins elaborated on the findings, noting that the failure was related to the building's overall structural integrity. “A avaliação técnica da engenharia concluiu que não há segurança a nível de estabilidade estrutural,” she said, indicating a fundamental flaw in the building's structure.
It was confirmed that the property had a license for ongoing works, which were under the supervision of the city's Municipal Directorate of Urbanism. The focus of the investigation will now be to determine if these works contributed to the collapse. Crews have begun the process of clearing debris and securing the fallen wall to prevent further risk. The street will remain partially closed for an undetermined period to facilitate these efforts.
The incident occurred in a popular, historic neighborhood, raising questions about the condition of Lisbon's older building stock and the oversight of renovation projects. The city's response will be closely watched by property owners and residents in similar areas. The full findings of the engineering assessment and the subsequent inquiry will determine the next steps for the property and its displaced residents.
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