The Mayor of Funchal, Paulo Cafôfo, has stated on Thursday 11th August that, in addition to the loss of human life, the material damage to private property and public in the county caused by the fires that broke out on Monday is estimated ar €55 million
The mayor spoke at the press conference regarding the fires in Funchal, which consumed n area greater than 500 hectares, mentioning that will present this first survey of damage in the meeting to be today with the Prime Minister, António Costa.
According to him, this first survey involving the parish councils there are 208 public and private buildings were affected by the fires in the county, with 105 totally destroyed and 103 with partial damage.
He added ” We estimate that EUR 32 million is needed for the rehabilitation of buildings [private] affected,” recorded damage to equipment and property of the municipality, such as water supply, roads, cliffs, Funchal Ecological Park and equipment of the fire, which is estimated at 23 million euros.
Paulo Cafôfo pointed out that extraordinary circumstances require “extraordinary solutions”, so will ask for help from Antonio Costa in relation to the total amount of damages.
“And we will certainly ask for help to the Government of the Republic but also the European Union. All sources of funding and money that can be channelled for recovery and normalization of people’s lives, we demand them and claim them” he said.
The mayor argued that this aid should be channelled “as soon as possible”, so it will require that “request does not get lost in the offices, in the bureaucracy, because life must go on.”
Paulo Cafôfo stressed that the financial situation of the city of Funchal “is difficult”, so it cannot respond to all the needs arising from this tragedy.