SIC News
Several fire brigades guarantee that they had already reported to the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority that the vehicles had structural and mechanical anomalies. A deviation in the water tank and instability in the braking system are two aspects that were detected in some of the 81 vehicles that were stopped for safety reasons.
The investigation into the accident was still in its early hours and the Ministry of Internal Affairs had already ordered a halt across the country.
SIC knows that one of the analysis angles involves the deviation detected in some vehicles at the level of the water transport tank. In other words, with the naked eye, several corporations detected that the water storage tank was off-centered by several centimeters in relation to the central axis of the vehicles.
Another element that the corporations reported to ANEPC, owner of the vehicle and provided to the fire brigades, was at the mechanical level. When braking, the vehicle tended to divert its trajectory to one side.
“From the Ministry’s side, I ordered an investigation to be opened at IGAI to investigate the circumstances (…) this investigation will investigate all the conditions under which these events took place”, said the Minister of Internal Administration, Margarida Blasco.
The investigation promoted by the General Inspectorate of Internal Administration will also take into account experience in other accidents. One of the most recent was in 202 in Vinhais two firefighters lost their lives in this accident
The forestry firefighting vehicle structure, which includes the so-called roll bar, will have worked to the extent that there was no deformation of the cabin where the operatives are transported.
In the recent case of Odemira, based on the images, doubts are raised regarding the iron structure, but also regarding this, the minister prefers to wait for the conclusions of the investigation process.
“A preventive measure until we have the certification of all vehicles and all the necessary documentation, the vehicles will be under the custody of the respective humanitarian associations”, said the minister.
The accident with the vehicle used by the Odemira firefighters occurred on the first day of the year, causing one death and four injuries. Along with the IGAI investigation, the GNR and Public Ministry are also investigating the circumstances.
