Latest news and stories about tragedy in Portugal for expats and residents.
Nelson Bernardino was in the last carriage of the Iryo train that was struck by the AVE. His family had been unable to contact him since Wednesday.
The Portuguese woman who was among the approximately 400 tourists missing in Nepal has been found dead.
The Bishop of Viana do Castelo expressed his condolences following the death of cyclist Finaly Tarling during the Volta a Portugal race.
The President expresses his condolences following a fatal incident during the Portuguese cycling tour.
Among the Portuguese victims in Venezuela are six members of the same family. They were together in La Guaira, in a building where they lived that was completely destroyed. Outside, a relative who escaped alive was desperate for news, but the news he feared most eventually arrived.
“We spoke by video call every day... learning to live with this is hard.” Irene Andrade Pires lost her sister and two nieces in the earthquakes in Venezuela; they were descendants of people from Madeira.
Reflecting on the Passion and Death of Jesus, the author uses the Easter season to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Entre-os-Rios bridge collapse. While the tragedy is often remembered through the political resignation and integrity of Jorge Coelho, the author argues it is vital to focus on the 59 victims, many of whom were never recovered, leaving their families in a state of perpetual grief. The piece serves as a tribute to the lives lost, highlighting the human cost of the disaster beyond the political narrative.
Today we remember the Passion and Death of Jesus. It is a day for Christians to believe that the most unspeakable sacrifice can have a meaning that transcends us. It is an excellent pretext to remember the 59 people who died on the Entre-os-Rios bridge, 25 years ago now. When we return to the tragedy, we almost always speak of Jorge Coelho, his prompt resignation, his integrity, and political courage. It is fair, but it is terrible for the memory of those who ceased to live on that night of March 4th. Many families from Castelo de Paiva wept that dawn, and most of them remain in a strange and absurd state of mourning — 36 bodies were never found, a death without a death, an end that does not quiet the dreams of those left behind. There were 36 women and 23 men. Only five were not from Castelo de Paiva, victims of an excursion to Foz Côa to see the birth of spring with its vain almond trees in bloom. Jesus is on the cross. We celebrate Easter, the most terrible and rewarding of days of faith. We also celebrate the inconceivable, the monstrosity of what can touch us, but also the network we need to never let go of the hope of all that remains for us. Those people did not return home, but they said goodbye to life with the scent of sweet almonds on the white and pink flowers born on the tree trunks. Most were never found; they are alive forever or ready to be resurrected.
