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Public safety, crime statistics, and security in Portugal.

A yellow INEM emergency medical helicopter parked on a hospital helipad in Portugal, with pine trees behind

Wrong Coordinates and a Cloud of Dust: Investigators Dissect the INEM Helicopter Accident at a Mondim de Basto Quarry

The GPIAAF's final report on the September 2024 INEM helicopter accident at a Mondim de Basto quarry finds wrong coordinates, an alternative landing site nobody told the crew about, and a dust-cloud brownout on final approach. All four aboard escaped with minor injuries.

The Portugal Brief 23 Jul 2026

The bare volcanic summit cone of Pico mountain in the Azores, Portugal's highest peak, rising above a rocky lava landscape under a clear evening sky

Earthquakes Under Portugal's Highest Mountain Push Pico's Volcanic Alert to V1

CIVISA raised the Pico volcano's alert level to V1 on Thursday after a swarm of small earthquakes from 05:48 on the mountain's southern flank. The strongest, magnitude 2.4, was felt at intensity III/IV in São Caetano and Candelária. The alert signals closer monitoring, not an imminent eruption.

The Portugal Brief 23 Jul 2026

Portugal Recorded 120 Fatal Workplace Accidents in 2024, Down 11.8% as Total Injuries Edged Up

Portugal Recorded 120 Fatal Workplace Accidents in 2024, Down 11.8% as Total Injuries Edged Up

Portugal recorded 120 workplace-accident deaths in 2024, an 11.8% fall from 2023, official GEP data show, though total accidents rose 1.3% to 187,018. Construction accounted for a third of the deaths, and small firms carried a disproportionate share.

The Portugal Brief 01 Jul 2026

A eucalyptus forest burns at night in Portugal, with flames rising between scorched trees and heavy smoke overhead

Portugal's Critical Fire Season Begins July 1, With Land-Clearing Fines Reaching €60,000 for Companies

Portugal's critical fire period runs 1 July to 30 September, and the land-clearing deadline lapsed on 30 June. Owners must keep a cleared strip of at least 50 metres around buildings or face fines of €140–€5,000 for individuals and up to €60,000 for companies, with pile burning banned.

The Portugal Brief 29 Jun 2026

FEPONS Counts 57 Drowning Deaths Across Portugal Through 31 May 2026 — Every Fatality Outside a Patrolled Zone

FEPONS Counts 57 Drowning Deaths Across Portugal Through 31 May 2026 — Every Fatality Outside a Patrolled Zone

The Observatório do Afogamento at FEPONS logs 57 drowning deaths in Portugal between 1 January and 31 May 2026 — second-worst pre-bathing-season tally since the 2017 series began, with rivers carrying 47.2% of Q1 fatalities and 100% occurring outside lifeguard-patrolled zones.

The Portugal Brief 16 Jun 2026

Portugal's Civil-Protection Posture Bakes Through a Red-Warning Weekend — How the 2026 Heat Dome Maps Against the 2003 and 2022 Heatwave Benchmarks

Portugal's Civil-Protection Posture Bakes Through a Red-Warning Weekend — How the 2026 Heat Dome Maps Against the 2003 and 2022 Heatwave Benchmarks

The IPMA stepped up to a red heat warning for Sunday across seven mainland districts; the DECIR Charlie posture mobilises 13,335 operationals; the 2003 and 2022 excess-mortality tape sets the comparison benchmarks.

The Portugal Brief 12 Jun 2026

Eurostat's 2024 Rail-Safety Tape Sets Portugal at the Top of the EU Fatalities-Per-Kilometre Ranking at 6.2 Deaths per Thousand Kilometres — Bloc Toll Eases 10.8% to 750 With 65.6% From Track Intrusion

Eurostat's 2024 Rail-Safety Tape Sets Portugal at the Top of the EU Fatalities-Per-Kilometre Ranking at 6.2 Deaths per Thousand Kilometres — Bloc Toll Eases 10.8% to 750 With 65.6% From Track Intrusion

Eurostat's 2024 rail-safety release , picked up in a Público analysis on Monday 25 May 2026 , places Portugal at the top of the European Union's fatalities-per-thousand-kilometres-of-network ranking at 6.2 deaths per 1,000 km — the highest density...

The Portugal Brief 25 May 2026

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