Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 1st February 2023
by Mike Evans
Good day to you all and we hope that the month of January has not been too cold for you here in the Algarve. Looking at the other parts of Portugal, we have seen some pretty severe weather conditions. The forecast for the Algarve over the next month is sunshine by day but cold nights. Remember, if you have open fires in your homes make sure that you are well ventilated as there is a greater risk of Carbon Monoxide poisoning with open fires as well as gas fires.
The following is based on information provided by the ANEPC (national emergency and civil protection authority) and firefighters.
Many domestic accidents and deaths are due to the effect of carbon monoxide, a toxic gas which is odourless and colourless.
It is important to properly protect the fireplace so that it does not cause a household fire. If using fireplaces, salamanders or gas equipment, maintain correct ventilation in rooms in order to avoid the accumulation of harmful gas, and before bed or leaving the house, make sure you have put out wood and charcoal fires, and turn off heating equipment in order to avoid possible fires. Regularly check the condition of the door seals on wood-burning stoves and pellet fires.
If using gas bottles, regularly check the flexible rubber tubes, which must comply with the requirements set out in standard NP 4436, and not exceed 1.5 metres in length. They are valid for five years from the date of manufacture.
If you have a fuel-burning appliance, including an open fire, make sure to have a carbon monoxide alarm installed. You should have one in every room that contains a stove or open fire. Smoke detectors can save lives in the event of a house fire. It’s important for homeowners to check their smoke detector batteries quarterly, to ensure their smoke detectors are still functioning.
If someone has symptoms of poisoning, contact the Anti-poison Information Centre: 800 250 250 or, in serious cases, contact 112.
Now for a look of some of the news from around the region:
4500 kgs of hashish seized off shore.
The director of the Judiciary Police (PJ) of Faro revealed this week that “a large increase” of high-speed boats has been detected on the south coast of Portugal, admitting the possibility of waiting for an opportunity to unload drugs.
“We have noticed a large increase in this type of [semi-rigid] speedboats at certain miles off the coast [in the Algarve], functioning almost like a warehouse waiting for the opportunity to unload [drugs]”, Fernando Jordão told journalists at a press conference where they announced that The Judiciary Police (PJ), the Navy, the Maritime Authority and the Portuguese Air Force detained five men and seized 4,500 kilograms of hashish in an operation in international waters south of Portugal.
The operation began following a routine maritime patrol mission by the Air Force, after suspicious movements of two vessels were monitored about 60 nautical miles south of Portugal, the PJ said in a statement. The semi-rigid vessels equipped with high-power engines, suspected of transporting drugs, were intercepted in international waters by marines from the Portuguese Navy, specified the police.
The operation resulted in the arrest of five men, aged between 36 and 49 years old, crew members of the vessels, and in the seizure of 127 bales of hashish with an approximate weight of 4,500 kilograms.
The high-speed boats were sent to the port of Faro , the closest location to the approach, in order to carry out the investigation, says the PJ.
3 Men Arrested for Theft Remanded in Custody
The three individuals arrested last Thursday for committing 25 crimes of aggravated theft in the eastern Algarve area, were held in custody, announced the Faro District Attorney’s Office.
Between November 2021 and January 2023, in the municipalities of Faro, Loulé, Olhão and Tavira, the detainees monitored the daily lives of victims, owners of houses and apartments. At dusk, taking advantage of the victims’ absence, using various methods depending on the typology of the houses, they entered by breaking in and seizing money and jewellery items”, says the Public Prosecutor’s Office in a statement.
Subsequently, the detainees, foreigners, disposed of the proceeds of the robberies “to their country of origin”. Following the robberies, the detainees would leave for their country, where they would remain for several months, “in order to avoid their relationship with the crimes”
The Public Prosecutor requested and applied for the detainees to be remanded in custody before their forthcoming trial.
The investigation belonged jointly to the PSP and the GNR, since the locations of the robberies were located in the respective territorial areas of coverage.
Man Rescued after Fall from Cliff in Vila Do Bispo
A 73-year-old man was rescued on the afternoon of Monday, January 23, after he accidentally fell while walking on a cliff between Praia do Telheiro and Praia da Ponta Ruiva, in the municipality of Vila do Bispo , announced the Authority National Maritime.
The alert was given at 1:30 pm by the Lisbon Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre, with elements of the Local Command of the Maritime Police of Lagos, a wide-angle team of the Volunteer Firefighters of Vila from Bispo and an Emergency and Resuscitation Medical Vehicle from INEM.When security forces arrived at the scene, the man was conscious and had several bruises on his body.
As it was in an area of difficult access, the rescue was carried out from the top of the cliff, and the victim was promptly assisted by elements of INEM.The man was later transported to a hospital unit by the Volunteer Firefighters of Vila do Bispo.
The Lagos Maritime Police Local Command took care of the incident.
New Road Safety Campaign starts 30 January 2023
The National Road Safety Authority (ANSR), the PSP and the GNR are starting on Tuesday a campaign to alert drivers to the risks of driving at high speed, one of the main causes of accidents.
The road safety campaign called “Travel without haste” is part of the 2023 National Inspection Plan and will run until February 6, consisting of ANSR awareness actions and inspection operations by the Public Security Police and the National Republican Guard. .
In a joint statement, ANSR, PSP and GNR say that the campaign aims to “alert drivers to the risks of driving at excessive speed”, since it is one of the main causes of accidents on the roads and is responsible for more than 60% of registered infractions. ANSR, PSP and GNR underline that, in a collision, the probability of fatalities increases depending on the speed at which vehicles travel.
As an example, they indicate that if a vehicle travels at 30 kilometres per hour, the probability of the consequences of being run over being fatal is 10%, increasing the speed to 50 kilometres per hour, the probability becomes 80%.
The “Travel without haste” campaign will integrate ANSR awareness actions across the country and inspection operations carried out by the GNR and PSP that will take place “with special focus on roads and accesses with high road traffic and in accordance with the National Plan of Inspection 2023, in order to contribute to reducing the risk of accidents and to the adoption of safer behaviour by drivers with regard to driving at excessive speed”.
And finally what must serve as a warning to everyone on the Algarve that fires don’t just start in the high summer, there was a brush fire this week in São Brás de Alportel área. According to the Faro District Relief Operations Command and reported by Notícias ao Minuto, fighting the flames were the De Silves Volunteer Firefighters, the Association of Volunteer Firefighters of São Bartolomeu de Messines, the Volunteer Firefighters of Albufeira and the Association of Firefighters Volunteers from Monchique with 26 personnel and eight vehicles. The alert for the fire was at 1:04 pm and, according to the same source, it was considered under control at 2:06 pm.
Until next week stay Safe.