Opinion (Rogério COPETO / Official GNR): A BAD 2017, BUT COULD BE WORSE.
The best epithet for the year 2017 it is annus horribilis, Latin expression, meaning "horrible year", in view of the disasters that have occurred and which resulted in a high number of victims, but it could be worse.
Rogério COPETO
Lieutenant Colonel of the GNR
Master in Law and Security and Homeland Security Auditor
Head of the Education Division / Command Doctrine and Training
The year 2017 It has been rich in natural disasters or man-made, which resulted in the death of hundreds of people and thousands injured, in addition to the damage, which caused enormous human and economic damage to the country.
Let us begin by the scourge of road accidents, leaving the fire to the end, so this area, found that taking into account the "Regular reports on road accidents" of National Road Safety Authority (Mor), found that even 15 August occurred 78.753 accidents, which resulted 315 fatalities, 1.302 serious injuries and 24.220 minor injuries, representing, compared to the same period last year more 214 accidents (+0,3%), more 51 dead (+16,2%), more 27 serious injuries (+2,1%) and more 401 minor injuries (+1,7%), whereby, very likely, the year 2017 It will end with a much higher number of dead 2016, can reach 650 the fatalities 30 days, This represents a great step back, in compliance with the objective of 41 killed per million inhabitants, to achieve in 2020.
With regard to deaths on the beaches also the numbers are also not positive, and according to the page "drowning Observatory", responsibility of the Portuguese Federation of Swimmers Saviors, it is proposed to account for the deaths by drowning in Portugal, using the news drownings, conveyed by the media, They have passed 69 people drowning victims, to 31 July, and in the report entitled "Drowning deaths in Portugal", we can also get to know the gender, age and nationality of the drowned, the drowning occurred in the morning, afternoon or evening, its causes, the drowning of the site had or not surveillance, it was seen or if there was an attempt to rescue, with regard to the drowning occurred in H1 2017.
And speaking of beach, we can not forget the landing of an aircraft on a beach in Costa da Caparica, on 2 August, and that caused the death of two people, a girl 8 years and a man of 56 year old, an accident which will have been caused by aircraft engine failure, SIC as part News 11 August, "Engine plane that killed two people on the beach stopped four minutes after take off".
In 17 April another accident that evolved the fall of an aircraft in Tires, killed all 5 occupants, as it realized the same day the Daily News in the article "Five confirmed dead in plane drop in Tires".
But unlike the accident in Tires, the crew of the aircraft that landed on the beach of Costa da Caparica, composed of an instructor and a student, They were unharmed accident, after having been heard by the prosecutor the next day, provided that defendants, was applied to them the measure of identity and residence coercion term, by "incur in the eventual practice of the crime of murder by negligence ", as a statement issued by the Attorney General's Office on the same day.
Last week, day 15 August, It was the fall of a tree, during a religious ceremony in Funchal, which caused the death of 13 people and other injuries 49, Article according to public 16 August, with the title "Tree fall in Funchal: fatalities are eight women and five men".
With regard to disaster causes, only knows that an oak 200 It has fallen, but no one knows why, Article as the I, of 17 August, with the title "Madeira. The tree fell but no one knows why", where it is stated that "a fall of an oak killed 13 bad people, so far, They are not known causes. fungi, lack of maintenance or little room for the roots are some of the cases mentioned by experts".
But according to the Sun article 16 August, with the title "tree falling on wood. For years, residents hoped the worst", it turns out that the disaster was expected by local residents for several years, with the responsible authorities been informed that. In that article is cited of these residents, that in March, told the newspaper "Funchal News" that "one of these days there is a disgrace and no one is responsible", by reason of the fall of several branches, in the same place, added "episodes are common and already had, repeatedly, warned the town hall of what was happening at your home".
This disaster caused by a falling tree, still no one was heard by prosecutors, neither was accused constituted, despite having been an inquiry, as referred to in the RTP part of the day 15 August with the title "Prosecutor opens investigation into the tree fall in Madeira", so it was with surprise that only after 3 days the MP has determined the location of isolation and suspension of expertise work that the City Hall of Funchal was in the hold, violating any and all precautionary measures that should have been taken, as realize the Observer in Article of the day 18 August with the title "Public prosecutor orders suspension of expert examination of tree fall in Funchal".
In this case the tree fall in Funchal, not have been the weather conditions that have felt this summer, that caused the disaster, however having been, not only potentiate the fires that have occurred, but also cause of death from heat reason, as realize the Daily News, of 29 July, in the article entitled "Heat wave killed a thousand people in three days", where it is said that “between 18 and 20 June died 1080 people, more 294 than the same period last year", so that taking into account the high temperatures continue to feel, can this summer to establish itself as one of the deadliest, due to heat waves that ravaged 2017.
On this subject, please read our article entitled "adverse extreme temperatures"Published no dia 24 August last year.
We end with a reference fires, which have already caused at least 65 dead and hundreds injured, representing the biggest tragedy of the year 2017, and in terms of severity of the worst in 15 year old, as Article Observer 22 August, with the title "The year 2017 was the “most severe of the last 15 years", ensures commander of the Civil Protection", having led the government to declare last week the state of emergency, this measure which failed to prevent the outbreak of more than 500 fire as the news I 22 August, with the title "Fires. More than 500 fire disaster during the period", or the crash of a helicopter firefighting on 20 August and killed its pilot, Portuguese nationals and 51 year old, thus constituting it is the latest victim of the deadly fires this summer.
There were many natural disasters and man-made, which took place this year in Portugal, not finished yet, and certainly many others were unmentioned, it being understood that the year 2017, It can be already considered a very bad year, but as is the hallmark of the Portuguese, yet we are lucky, because Portugal remains out of the route of extremists Daesh, despite having died 13 Portuguese in terrorist attacks, and earthquakes in Lisbon can only shake crockery, so leaving us hope that the year 2018 not as bad as this, altough the authorities started already working, so as not to repeat some of the disasters this year, at least those which can prevent.
