Floods And Landslides Kill Dozens In Madeira

This news is a disaster, these poor people!

Breaking News

5:53pm UK, Saturday February 20, 2010

Floods And Landslides Kill Dozens In Madeira

Alison Chung, Sky News Online

Dozens of people have been killed on the Portuguese island of Madeira after severe rainstorms caused flooding and landslides.

Television footage showed powerful streams of water and mud invading roads, dragging and overturning cars and felling trees.
The flooding has destroyed homes and bridges, while electricity and phone links have been cut.
Strong winds and blocked roads have also made rescue efforts extremely difficult.
As Portuguese Interior Minister Rui Pereira prepared to fly to the island, he said there were "25 confirmed deaths up until now".
The state-run Lusa news agency said more than 60 people had received hospital treatment.
Mr Pereira said the government in Lisbon was considering whether to declare a state of emergency in the region.
In Madeira's capital Funchal, the airport was closed and the city's mayor advised residents to stay at home.
A duty officer at the civil protection service said they were overwhelmed with calls from the public asking for help.
Local authorities said they have called on doctors and council workers to provide assistance.
Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates expressed his "profound shock" at the size of the calamity and promised aid for the islanders.
Madeira is a popular tourist destination that is located 560 miles southwest of the mainland.
It was not immediately clear whether any tourists were among the victims.

More to follow..

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Article/201002115554669

Terrible story. For some reason Joana didn't allow posts about it yesterday.

You´re right bluj, I agree with you.

For some reason Joana didn't allow posts about it yesterday.

Simples. Because Alberto João Jardim (president of Madeira autonomous government) gave the order to 'not to dramatize this abroad, it may damage the tourism industry'. He even doesn't want the central government to instate the state of calamity. That's why the number of deaths remains at 42. That's why the first objective is to clear the streets of Funchal, leaving other villages to a second priority. In one village alone, they came down from 40 villagers to 30, still no communications, no power, therefore no water. Even in Funchal, they have flooded underground car parks that are not being emptied to search for bodies. Streets first.

maria wrote:

For some reason Joana didn't allow posts about it yesterday.

Simples. Because Alberto João Jardim (president of Madeira autonomous government) gave the order to 'not to dramatize this abroad, it may damage the tourism industry'. He even doesn't want the central government to instate the state of calamity. That's why the number of deaths remains at 42. That's why the first objective is to clear the streets of Funchal, leaving other villages to a second priority. In one village alone, they came down from 40 villagers to 30, still no communications, no power, therefore no water. Even in Funchal, they have flooded underground car parks that are not being emptied to search for bodies. Streets first.

Maria, I am so sorry this happened, I really cannot fathom your government out. Will they never learn that covering things like this up and covering up abductions of little girls, just makes things a whole lot worse? We have bad floods in this country and there has been loss of life, thank God nothing like what has happened in Madeira, but the government respond not by covering it up, but by sending in aid to where it is needed. Just a few weeks back before Christmas a whole village became submerged in over15ft water, miraculuosly only one death a policeman on a bridge trying to help stranded motorists. Our emergency services went in and rescued people by lifeboat and helicopter and took them to places of safety. Your government are NOT responsible for the weather, however, they are responsible for how they react to a situation and how quickly they do it.
Marcos comes from Madeira, we have been in touch and he and his family are safe. The pictures we have seen on our TV screens are terrible, this is a distater, this is such a high loss of life, was there no warnings at all? I believe there is at least one British person who has died

Just praying hard for them, some people have lost everything it must be absolutely gut wrenching and others have paid the ultimte sacrifce, no words to express what we feel for those poor people.

Was going to ask about Marcos and his family.....Thankyou for letting us know they are well Rosie...

Rosie

This covering up doesn't come from the government of the republic, but from Madeira government. Anyway, same camp as Joana and Amaral. Sorry, I had to 'enlighten' you about this, I feel too angry about the 'order' passed by Jardim. The central government is doing its best, sending in all the help available and asking for help from EU and others. It is said that the rebuilding can cost as much as 1.000.000.000 euro (do you call it a billion like the americans? Cause for us is 1 thousand of 1 million euro)

What a terrible thing to have happened to Madeira. Thoughts and prayers go to all those affected. I hope they get the aid they so desperately need.

Yes, I agree with you May.

maria wrote:Rosie

This covering up doesn't come from the government of the republic, but from Madeira government. Anyway, same camp as Joana and Amaral. Sorry, I had to 'enlighten' you about this, I feel too angry about the 'order' passed by Jardim. The central government is doing its best, sending in all the help available and asking for help from EU and others. It is said that the rebuilding can cost as much as 1.000.000.000 euro (do you call it a billion like the americans? Cause for us is 1 thousand of 1 million euro)

Maria, this is an absolute disgrace. But as Amorol is named there why am I not surprised?

Well, Chris, I was just explaining why JO didn't say much about the disaster... They are all (along with some others) 'birds of a feather'.

maria wrote:Rosie

This covering up doesn't come from the government of the republic, but from Madeira government. Anyway, same camp as Joana and Amaral. Sorry, I had to 'enlighten' you about this, I feel too angry about the 'order' passed by Jardim. The central government is doing its best, sending in all the help available and asking for help from EU and others. It is said that the rebuilding can cost as much as 1.000.000.000 euro (do you call it a billion like the americans? Cause for us is 1 thousand of 1 million euro)

Hi Maria, no need to apologise, it is one more thing I have learned about your beautiful country and Madeira. I feel so sorry for all those people who lost their lives and the families, I hope they get the international aid they need, I am sure the EU will respond.
It doesn't surprise me that the Madeiran government are doing this and this is who Morais and Amaral support, it is what Amaral did when he was in charge of the Joana investigation and the Madeleine investigation, they make me sick. With this kind of tragedy the full scale must be known and it must be dealt with properly and the area looked to see if flood defences can be installed in the future. It is no good covering things like this up, it always, always backfires!

European Union ready to help Madeira. Portuguese government will ask for monetary help.

Pedro Silva wrote:European Union ready to help Madeira. Portuguese government will ask for monetary help.

I think we are about to find out how much Britain hates Portugal. Thousands of British people will donate to this tragedy.

Morais won't like that. It will make her look like the nasty bitter person she is.

European Union as a fund for catastrophes such like this, the money from EU´s fund will be send to help Madeira. That´s what I heard.

My thoughts are with the good people of Maderia.

maria wrote:Well, Chris, I was just explaining why JO didn't say much about the disaster... They are all (along with some others) 'birds of a feather'.

Maria,
I found a small bit of news about Alberto João Jardim statement, what a pig he is.

Madeira floods claim 42 lives
22/2/2010

Portuguese authorities began rushing aid to the tourist island off the African coast Saturday night, dispatching a Navy frigate and preparing a Hercules C-130 transport plane loaded with rescue teams, divers, and equipment to clear blocked roads, replace destroyed bridges, and repair downed power and telephone lines.

Prime Minister José Sócrates flew to the Madeira, about 900 kilometers southwest of the Portuguese mainland, late Saturday to meet with regional government officials, pledging Lisbon's full support.

"Forty deaths have been confirmed", the island's welfare secretary, Francisco Ramos, said late Sunday morning. "We hope the toll will not rise, but it probably will, given the circumstances of the deluge".

There were no immediate reports of foreign tourists among the dead.

Ramos said 120 people had been injured and 240 left homeless by the torrents, mudslides and 90-kilometers gusts of wind that battered Madeira, especially southern zones, including the capital, Funchal, throughout the day Saturday.

Saying aid and rescue teams had yet to reach eight remote villages on the semi-tropical resort island of volcanic origin, the official declined to give a figure for the number of reportedly missing people, underlining that any figure would not be "trustworthy".

While the weather improved Sunday, tourists were asked to remain in Funchal hotels as emergency teams began efforts to clear tons of boulders, mud, overturned vehicles and other debris driven down mountainsides into the city of 100,000 by the torrents.

In his meeting with the island leader, Alberto João Jardim, Saturday night, the prime minister promised "all needed help" for the regional government to "immediately begin recovery work".

Jardim expressed his gratitude for promised aid from Lisbon and the European Union but asked that the disaster not be overly "dramatized", recalling that Madeira's economy counted heavily on tourism.

The island's most famous son, soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, also promised help.

"No-one can remain indifferent to this huge catastrophe, least of all me who was born and grew up on Madeira", he was quoted as saying by his agent.

The disaster was the island's worst in living memory, far overtaking deadly floods in 1993 that killed eight people. TPN/Lusa
Edition: online

Such a tragedy. I also feel so helpless when disasters like this happen.
Nice to hear Ronaldo has offered help. I expected that of him.
Thoughts go out to the people of Madeira.

You´re right Peaceful1. Well done Ronaldo.

Chris

There you have. And it was repeated yesterday on RTP1 evening news, very very loud and clear.

You all have seen the muddy waters bursting off their usual canals, carrying tons and tons of rocks. I don't know if it was shown the mountains crumbling down. You also have seen the bridges and roads being taken down, cars going backwards pushed by the water. At this point in time, the death toll is still at 42 and 32 missing. Although there are witnesses that some mutilated corpses lay 'down there' these are still left laying 'down there' and therefore counted as 'missing'.

Yes, we only have this once in a hundred years. But, although it is correct that the clean up is a priority, people, dead and alive, should be the FIRST priority. And the mountains show a dangerous degree of instability. It is estoimated that more than a thousand million euro will be need for the reconstruction, EU will give up to 85 million, if I'm not mistaken, from a solidarity fund. State of emergency would bring much more help. And what about the mountains and the poor villages and villagers that have been affected? Because what the regional government is trying to do is the clean up of Funchal, the capital, eventually the (touristic) road links to other parts of the island.

Face lifting, not problem solving. That is my criticism.

I hope a state of emergency is declared and that help gets to Madeira sooner than later. If I see a fund advertised whilst in my bank, I will definitely contribute. Well done Ronaldo, not so well done the Madeiran government.

maria wrote:Chris

There you have. And it was repeated yesterday on RTP1 evening news, very very loud and clear.

You all have seen the muddy waters bursting off their usual channels, carrying tons and tons of rocks. I don't know if it was shown the mountains crumbling down. You also have seen the bridges and roads being taken down, cars going backwards pushed by the water. At this point in time, the death toll is still at 42 and 32 missing. Although there are witnesses that some mutilated corpses lay 'down there' these are still left laying 'down there' and therefore counted as 'missing'.

Yes, we only have this once in a hundred years. But, although it is correct that the clean up is a priority, people, dead and alive, should be the FIRST priority. And the mountains show a dangerous degree of instability. It is estoimated that more than a thousand million euro will be need for the reconstruction, EU will give up to 85 million, if I'm not mistaken, from a solidarity fund. State of emergency would bring much more help. And what about the mountains and the poor villages and villagers that have been affected? Because what the regional government is trying to do is the clean up of Funchal, the capital, eventually the (touristic) road links to other parts of the island.

Face lifting, not problem solving. That is my criticism.

"Once in a hundred years" is certainly no consolation to the people that have lost loved ones and friends and to the people that have lost their homes and everything they have worked for, this is nothing short of absolutely devastating. The people that have lost their material possessions they will eventually restore their lives to some kind of order, not so easy for those that have lost loved ones, I pray for all of those affected.

The way through this is to help those most in need of help and the government's first duty is to those that have lost loved ones, have loved ones missing and who have injured loveds ones and to those that have no place to sleep or rest, there has to be so many people like this and of course there will be among those people, the poor, children, disabled and the elderly and infirm and vulnerable, these people must be helped immediately. The infrastructure must be repaired, without that further catastrophe beckons and it will be those that are most at need, who will be most affected by it.
It is a big ask, but it will happen and Madeira will get over this, denying it and trying to sweep it under the carpet will only bring more pain and hurt.
Also when something like this happens, proper attention must be paid when rebuilding, that the risk of something like this happening again is minimised, what better time will the government of Madeira have to take such an undertaking?

According to the news bulletin right now the number of deaths is 42, missing 13 and dislodged 400+. The first funeral will be in a couple of hours time, a fireman who died when trying to help a lady.

I saw today at a Portuguese newspaper frontpage, that Portuguese rich people are helping Madeira, which is very good.

Hubby and myself were in Madeira for the first time last October.
It is a very beautiful island with lovely people.
Seeing the desruction and plight of the island makes us so sad.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Madeira. x