The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 17 August 2022
by Mike Evans
Good day to you all. As the whole country battles wildfires and high temperatures coupled with high winds, the Algarve whilst not experiencing the huge fires that are raging in the North continues to be at High risk according to the IPMA. As I write 6 municipalities in the Algarve are rated as “high risk” The are Aljezur , Lagos, Silves, Loulé, São Brás de Alportel and Tavira. It is encumbered by us all to make sure we adhere to the rules surrounding the prevention of fires.
The GNR recalls that, at any time of the year, it is forbidden to burn cut and piled woods and any type of forest or agricultural leftovers, as well as burning without asking for authorization or making prior communication. The GNR indicated that this year it has so far arrested 68 people for forest fire, 16 more than in the whole of last year (when it made a total of 52 arrests).
Man arrested for stealing carob and illegal driving
A 34-year-old man was arrested in the municipality of Tavira for stealing from Alfarroba and driving without a legal licence, the GNR reported this Tuesday .
Following a report of carob theft, the military went to the scene on Monday, having “intercepted the suspect at the moment he was starting to flee the property, in a vehicle, in possession of the stolen carob”, explained the GNR in a statement.
The investigations carried out also made it possible to verify that the man did not have a legal licence to drive. In the course of the action, eight sacks were seized, containing about 211 kilos of carob, which were delivered to the legitimate owner.
The man was arrested and charged, and the facts sent to the Judicial Court of Faro .
Robbers arrested in Spain are remanded in Custody
Two robbers who were arrested in Spain recently and are suspected of a number of crimes including robbing gas stations in the Algarve were remanded in custody in Spain this week.
The suspects, considered by the Spanish authorities as “very dangerous”, were heard by the judge of the Central Investigation Court, Joaquín Gadea, who decreed preventive detention for both detainees, Nélida Alves and Sidney Pereira, aged 40 and 42, respectively.
The suspects, dubbed by the press as the Portuguese ‘Bonnie &Clyde’, will be the perpetrators of armed robberies at service stations in Spain and Portugal in recent weeks as well as suspicion of other more serious crimes.
The suspects allegedly robbed service stations in the Algarve, before crossing the border into Spain in Ayamonte, at the end of July, and in Spain the violent attacks on service stations in Seville, Badajoz and Toledo continued, always using the same ‘modus operandi’. ‘ of intimidating employees with a gun and a knife.
They are also suspected of having stolen a vehicle in the Madrid neighbourhood of Moncloa. They were detained in Zamora after a citizen’s complaint, when he recognized the suspects in a shopping centre, alerted the Guardia Civil at the end of Saturday.
They were arrested while having dinner inside the stolen vehicle, having been surrounded at that time by agents of the National Police, who detained them without offering resistance, as explained today in a press conference by the chief of police in Zamora, Guillermo Vara.
Navy rescues crew member with symptoms of heart attack
On Monday, August 15, the Portuguese Navy rescued a member of the crew who was aboard the ship Fri Tide, off Portimão , who had symptoms of a heart attack , the security force announced.
This rescue took place through the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre of Lisbon, in conjunction with the Captaincy of the Port of Portimão and the Guidance Centre for Urgent Patients Mar. The information was received at 18:57 and the urgent need to evacuate the victim was confirmed.
The victim was later transported by ambulance to a hospital.
Albufeira Municipality honours young people on International Youth Day
To mark International Youth Day, the municipality of Albufeira has a tradition of organising a program that aims to distinguish the merit of young people from Albufeira in areas such as Sports, Citizenship, Arts, Culture and the Academic World.
This year, the municipality celebrated the date again with a ceremony that brought together 62 young people and their families in the Salão Nobre dos Paços do Concelho, followed by a social lunch and a boat trip along the coast of Albufeira.
Sixty-two young people from the Albufeira Poente, Ferreiras and Vale Pedras School Groups and various sports, cultural and social clubs and associations in the county, who stood out in different areas, were praised for their success, but also for their commitment and altruism dedicated to causes social and humanitarian.
In his speech, José Carlos Rolo, Mayor of Albufeira, underlined the importance of “fostering solidarity between generations (…) to guarantee a more inclusive and sustainable society”.Among many reflections, the president urged young people to be “ambassadors of society”, through their active participation in the sports, cultural, social and school associations they attend, getting involved in voluntary initiatives and participating in civic and political life. .
Isabel Frade, representing the Portuguese Institute for Youth and Sports ( IPDJ ), reiterated “the difficult role that youth face”, stressing that the IPDJ “is always open to welcome and support the ideas and projects presented by the young people”.
All young people received a piece alluding to the moment and a diploma of recognition of merit, which were delivered by the president, vice president and councillors Cláudia Guedelha, Ricardo Clemente, Abel Zua and Desidério Silva.
Teenager dies in Algarve boat crash
A collision between two vessels in the Ria Formosa, in Olhão, last Friday night, injured two people and led to the death of one girl. The captain of the port of Olhão, André Cardoso de Morais, clarified that the collision involved “a maritime taxi” and “a pleasure boat” and only confirmed that the victims were transported to the hospital with injuries.
According to Jornal de Notícias, the person who was seriously injured was a 17 year old girl who then later died. The same source added that “the collision and the circumstances in which the accident took place are being investigated by the Maritime Police”, who went to the accident site and accompanied the transport of the victims to the Olhão pier, aboard another private vessel”.
Road safety campaign launched today
The GNR, the PSP and the National Road Safety Authority (ANSR) launched on 16 August the campaign “Travel without haste” to raise awareness regarding the dangers of speeding.The campaign, which will take place between 16 and 23 August, is part of the National Inspection Plan for 2022, according to a statement from the three law enforcement agencies, which stress that speeding is one of the main causes of accidents on the roads and accounts for more than 50 percent of recorded infractions.
For example, “in run over accidents, the probability of death increases with the speed of the vehicle. If a vehicle is going at 30 km/h, the probability of death is 10%. Increasing the speed to 50 km/h, the probability becomes 80%”, reads the statement.
The “Travel without haste” campaign will include awareness-raising actions by ANSR in mainland Portugal and in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, as well as control speed operations by the GNR and PSP, with special focus on the busiest roads of the country.
Thank you for reading this report and watch out each week for the latest updates to the Algarve.