Press release - Communication

Secretaria Regional do Turismo, Mobilidade e Infraestruturas

Following Monday's landslide at the access road to Ferraria, the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures reports that, this morning, a technical team from the Regional Directorate for Public Works and the Regional Civil Engineering Laboratory (LREC) visited the site to conduct a technical analysis and assess the safety conditions for traffic on the road.

It was confirmed that the incident involved a landslide at the foot of the embankment, which projected soil and large rocks onto the road, blocking it. The landslide occurred in an area that was not covered by the embankment stabilisation work carried out between 2019 and 2020.

In a preliminary analysis, the technical team that visited the site identified the entire area as unstable and dangerous, concluding that there are currently no safe conditions for people and vehicles to use the road in question. Therefore, access will remain restricted and is not recommended.

The Regional Directorate for Public Works continues to work on site with a lorry, a backhoe and an excavator to clear the road, with a view to removing the cars stranded in the car park. The clearance operation was completed in the early afternoon.

It should be noted that no personal injuries or property damage were reported. All individuals who were in the bathing area received assistance and support and were later transported to their respective accommodations in a joint effort by the Regional Government, the Ponta Delgada City Council, and the Ginetes Parish Council. Support and food supplies were also provided by a Ferraria Thermal Spa employee.

The Regional Government urges the population to respect the restrictions imposed on road traffic, which are solely and exclusively aimed at safeguarding the safety of the population and visitors.

At present, the technical report from LREC is awaited in order to identify and initiate the subsequent procedures for protecting and consolidating the road embankments.