Praia Firefighters Commander points out "tiredness and hunger" as causes of the accident that killed 8 soldiers

The commander of Praia Firefighters told RCV that fatigue and hunger were one of the main factors behind the accident that claimed the lives of 8 soldiers this Sunday, 2nd, following a fire in the forest perimeter of Serra da Malagueta .

Speaking to Rádio Pública, Carlos Teixeira reports that at the end of the work he had alerted to the human conditions of the people who were on the ground, but that, however, his concern was not observed.

“At the end of the work we had a small meeting where everyone gave their opinion and I said that at that moment it was not advisable to do what they asked. I think that at this point we should give the staff a rest because the fire was no longer a danger”, he said.

According to the commander, there was only milk and cookies to eat and he even took his own milk and cookies to distribute to the 24 men who accompanied him in the operation.

“Imagine two days fighting the fire and eating only milk and biscuits. Tiredness and hunger were some of the main factors that led to the accident. I say it with all the letters”, he assured, although not ruling out the possibility of mechanical failure in the accident vehicle.

It should be noted that the country is celebrating today the second of two days of official national mourning for the death of eight soldiers and a technician from the Ministry of the Environment while fighting a forest fire in Serra Malagueta.

The fire that broke out on Saturday at 10:30 am in Serra da Malagueta and Figueira das Naus. On Sunday, an Armed Forces vehicle crashed, around 5:20 pm, in the Guindão area, causing the death of eight soldiers.