Latest news and stories about emergency services in Santarém, Portugal for expats and residents.
Rail traffic on the Beira Baixa Line was temporarily halted and one fatality confirmed after a train collided with a vehicle at a signposted level crossing in Vila Nova de Barquinha.
A major forest fire in Abrantes, Santarém, has mobilised hundreds of personnel as it spreads towards Mação, though officials report no immediate threat to residential areas.
An investigation has been launched into the death of a 73-year-old woman in Santarém after emergency services took nearly 30 minutes to respond to a call for help, forcing her family to transport her to the hospital themselves.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa says the immediate priority in the affected areas is to restore electricity and communications after widespread outages that have left almost 200,000 customers without power and some communities—such as Colmeias and Memória in Leiria—isolated. Speaking after a journey to Ferreira do Zêzere during which he was “almost always without communications”, he warned of long‑standing structural weaknesses, urged caution and calm, and called for a collective, coordinated State response with preventive measures to manage the emergency.
The aircraft arrived at the airfield on Sunday. The programme, valued at approximately 40 million euros, includes three more helicopters, with the second one scheduled to arrive in the second quarter of 2027.
The programme includes four UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters, with the second aircraft scheduled to arrive in the second quarter of 2027, the third in the fourth quarter, and the final one in the first quarter of 2028.
At the scene, personnel from both Santarém fire departments were present, totaling two vehicles and six operators, alongside the PSP and the utility company.
The situation is reportedly compromising the rest, well-being, and training of students, with cases recorded where hospital assistance was required.
The alert for the accident resulting from a tractor veering off the road was given at 17:46. Firefighters, GNR officers, and six vehicles were at the scene.
Only one of the 282 fires recorded across the 11 municipalities took longer than 90 minutes to be resolved.
Only one of the 282 fires recorded across the 11 municipalities took longer than 90 minutes to extinguish.
The train was travelling in the Entroncamento-Abrantes direction and the level crossing was signposted, according to a source from the Medio Tejo command.
A car was struck while crossing the level crossing.
Traffic on the Beira Baixa Line in Vila Nova da Barquinha resumed at 4:00 am, after having been interrupted due to a collision between a light vehicle and a train that resulted in one death, according to civil protection authorities.
Lisbon, 09 Oct 2026 (Lusa) -- Circulation on the Beira Baixa Line, in Vila Nova da Barquinha, resumed at 04:00, after having been interrupted due to a collision between a light vehicle and a train that resulted in one death, according to civil protection.
A car was struck while crossing the level crossing.
A car was hit by a train on Thursday night in Vila Nova da Barquinha, in the Santarém district.
Traffic resumed at 4:00 AM after a light vehicle was struck by a train while crossing the level crossing, resulting in the death of the vehicle's driver.
The car was dragged for several metres by the train.
There were 42 passengers and the driver on board, all of whom were safely evacuated without any injuries.
Three of the victims were admitted to Santarém Hospital - the seriously injured person, who was transported by ambulance after being stabilised by the INEM, and two of the lightly injured.
According to the official, the drop in reserves is not an isolated incident, but rather a trend that has been worsening in recent years, with a continuous reduction in the number of donations.
The fire that broke out in an area of scrubland and eucalyptus in Carregueira, in the municipality of Chamusca, on Saturday night, “is now concluding,” Civil Protection told Lusa.
As of 05:30, 84 personnel were still on the ground fighting this fire in the Santarém district, supported by 29 vehicles.
The wildfire in the Chamusca region is nearing the containment stage, with authorities preparing to transition to monitoring.
A wildfire in the Chamusca region was successfully contained after a four-hour operation supported by approximately 270 firefighters.
A forest fire in the Chamusca region has triggered a large-scale response involving approximately 270 firefighters.
The alert was raised at 20:46.
There are three victims, two of whom are trapped in the vehicles.
An area of scrubland and eucalyptus forest is burning.
