Chain of Neglect in the Crane Disaster That Took Two Lives in Sintra: The Construction Site Turned Out to be Completely Unlicensed

A huge crane working on Rua D. Inês de Castro in the Belas district fell onto the road with a loud noise in the morning. Two Brazilian workers, aged 28 and 40, who fell from a height of approximately six floors, unfortunately died at the scene. While we were trying to get over the shock of the incident, the details that emerged once again hit us in the face with what kind of lack of control we were facing in the field.

Initial official investigations revealed that the construction site where the work was carried out was completely unlicensed and no permission had been obtained from the municipality to occupy public space.

No Permission or Prior Notice

According to the information shared by Sintra Mayor Marco Almeida, the contractor company did not even make the mandatory notification to the municipality that the construction had started. In other words, there is no legal guarantee or rule definition.

Eyewitnesses report that the crane shook uncontrollably just before it collapsed. Although an emergency response team of 15 people was dispatched to the region upon the notice received at 08.04 in the morning, it was not possible to save two lives. The third worker, working at the back of the building, luckily escaped the accident uninjured. The huge pile of metal that fell on the road turned all three parked vehicles into scrap.

Crane Accidents Raise Alarm in Portugal

Following the incident, Portuguese Working Conditions Authority (ACT) inspectors went directly to the site and launched a large-scale investigation into working conditions. It is stated that the contractor company refrained from making a clear statement at the scene and that the process will now be carried out in the presence of judicial authorities and the police.

What is really thought-provoking is that this incident is not isolated. There has been a serious increase in crane accidents throughout Portugal recently. In addition to the death of two workers within 48 hours in Coimbra in April, dangerous accidents were recorded one after another in different cities such as Porto, Leiria, Tavira and Figueira da Foz.

The apparent loss of life of two people in an unlicensed and uncontrolled area shows very painfully that occupational safety in the field remains on paper.

Source: Inês Lopes (The Portugal Resident), SIC Notícias, Lusa (19 August 2026)

Photo: António Pedro Santos / Lusa