Africa-Press – Cape verde. The country and the diaspora are in mourning after the tragedy that devastated the country, with the information of the death of 8 soldiers who were going to support the fight against the fire in Serra da Malagueta, and who died in a car accident this Sunday,2, and the young Gabi, technician of the aforementioned perimeter. Inside and outside the country, thousands of messages of regret and consternation multiply on social networks, but there are also Internet users who raise issues worthy of attention.
The fire in Serra Malagueta claimed the life of Gabi, a technician at the Serra Malagueta Natural Park, who was in critical condition at the Agostinho Neto Hospital, Praia, after suffering an accident while fighting the flames, failing to resist her injuries.
Gabi is joined by eight soldiers who died on the afternoon of Sunday, 2nd, in Santiago, following a car accident, when they were going to support the fire in Serra Malagueta, after the truck they were traveling in overturned.
Life for a Greater Cause
On social networks, Cape Verdeans and friends of Cape Verde, inside and outside the country, mourn the death of these 9 young people, who gave their lives for a greater cause. In the case of the military, the causes are yet to be determined.
In general, Internet users speak of an unprecedented tragedy, lament the pain of mothers and family members and ask for answers. Likewise, they regret the apparent lack of material conditions of the Firefighters and Civil Protection.
“My sincere condolences to family, friends and the Cape Verdean homeland. RIP to the soldiers who lost their lives in defense of the Nation of Cape Verde” wrote an internet user.
“The time is for mourning and condolences to the relatives of the deceased who, in the name of the Nation, made themselves available to serve and lost their lives. These should indeed be remembered as heroes,” said another.
Firefighters without material conditions to face the flames?
According to José Tavares, an internet user who claimed to have supported the fight against the flames in Serra Malagueta, the firefighters were unable to fight a fire of that size.
“The firefighters don’t have a single working truck, it’s about time we had operational trucks. There is no access to the places, the only access via Figueira das Naus is in terrible condition”, denounces the young man.
Sílvia Conceição also states that in this situation our Firefighters deserve more attention and means of work, and questions the call of the military.
“Perhaps they are not even prepared to face such situations”, he asked. Now, he says, it’s time to investigate what caused this tragedy.
Engaged Serra Malagueta community
In the midst of this whole situation, Isaías Patrick welcomes the attitude of the Serra Malagueta community who, together with the firefighters, say they have been working “tirelessly” to put out the fire, supporting professionals with water and other materials and in achieving hard-to-reach places.
Rui Tavares, in turn, denounces that “a more realistic reading of what happened was expected” and says that the population of that community “was not properly informed”.
“You see, it was assumed that there were places of difficult access, which is perhaps why I did not see a single element of Civil Protection supporting us in the main focus of flames towards the forest perimeter. Total shame!”, he laments.
This internet user goes on to claim that it is necessary to clarify that the person who eliminated the main focus of flames that was towards the forest perimeter was “the youth of Serra Malagueta”.
“With the shameful absence of civil protection services, which incidentally did not advise our action!”, reads the young man’s comment in a publication by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment on Facebook.
It should be recalled that the Government has already decreed two days of mourning in the face of this tragedy that devastated the country.
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