(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Pedrógão Grande, Portugal - Questions were mounting on Tuesday about the government's response to the raging forest fires that have claimed 64 lives, as more than 1,000 firefighters battled to contain it.
The blaze around Pedrogao Grande was expected to be under control shortly, said civil protection chief Vitor Vaz Pinto.
But as water-bombing planes made regular passes over the flames, there were growing questions as to whether the response to the disaster could have been better.
There were also suggestions that forestry practices and outdated emergency planning might have contributed to the disaster. Some people in the hamlets scattered through this rural region were not happy with the response of the emergency services. Father Jose Gomes, the priest in Figueiro dos Vinhos, told AFP that some locals had "lacked the support of the fire fighters, and sometimes even water."
"There is a spirit of revolt towards the emergency services," he said. Other people were asking if the roads where so many people died had been closed quickly enough on Saturday when the fires started. Of the 64 people who died, 47 of them perished on the N236 highway, 30 of them trapped in their cars as the flames surrounded them. An additional 157 were listed as injured, the emergency services said. They included seven people in a serious state, one of them a child.
MENAFN2206201701410000ID1095574602
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.