Three construction workers have died in a workplace accident at Quinta do Lago, in the municipality of Loulé, after being found dead inside a septic tank at a private property.
The men were carrying out waterproofing work inside the structure when the incident occurred on Monday, 12 October, a source from the Faro Territorial Command of the National Republican Guard (GNR) told journalists.
The emergency services were alerted at 12.53pm. Despite attempts to resuscitate the workers, their deaths were confirmed at the scene.
Three other people were also treated by emergency crews, according to Civil Protection. The incident mobilised 30 emergency personnel and 13 land-based vehicles.
The circumstances surrounding the deaths are still being investigated. Authorities have yet to establish what happened inside the tank or what caused the fatal incident.
Portuguese media reports have identified the structure as a septic tank and reported that the three men who died were Romanian nationals aged 21, 24 and 40. The three other workers, aged between 50 and 52, were treated at the scene and reportedly declined transport to hospital.
The Authority for Working Conditions (ACT), Portugal’s workplace safety regulator, is expected to examine the circumstances of the accident.
No cause of death has been officially confirmed. However, some members of the public have noted about the dangers of working in enclosed spaces with exposure to hazardous atmospheres, and the subsequent risk of oxygen deficiency.
Further details are expected as the authorities establish the sequence of events and determine whether workplace safety procedures were followed.
Source: LUSA
Photo credit: CNN Portugal
