Coimbra, Portugal, Dec. 8, 2025 (Lusa) - The Mayor of the Portuguese city of Coimbra, Ana Abrunhosa, has said that there are many vacant buildings in the city centre, "with a real risk of collapse in some cases," and added that an inspection is being carried out.
"There are many vacant buildings in this area of the city, with a real risk of collapse in some," said Ana Abrunhosa, in a statement sent to the Lusa news agency on Sunday following the collapse of a vacant building, whose debris hit an inhabited building on Saturday night in downtown Coimbra, leaving 14 people homeless, including three children, who are now staying in hotels.
The mayor said that "an inspection of the situation of vacant buildings" is being carried out and that all owners will be notified "as a matter of urgency”.
"In fact, we have already notified some owners of vacant buildings in this first month of government," said Ana Abrunhosa.
The local authority mayor also assured that, in the absence of a prompt response from the owners, measures permitted by law will be taken, "from administrative possession of the property to expropriation".
At around 10 pm on Saturday, the collapse of a vacant building on Rua da Fornalhinha affected an inhabited building on Rua das Padeiras. The municipal Civil Protection Office verified that this building "is not safe," making it necessary to rehouse 14 people, aged between 7 and 45, in six rooms in two hotels in the city.
"Yesterday [Saturday], fortunately, no one died, but tomorrow, the scenario may be different and we may have to deal with such a tragedy. It is our responsibility to do everything we can to ensure that such a day does not happen," said Ana Abrunhosa, assuring that "this situation of thousands of vacant buildings scattered throughout the urban fabric of Coimbra, posing unnecessary risks to people and property, will continue to deserve very special attention from this executive".
Recognising that both the city council and the owners of vacant buildings have responsibilities, the mayor assured that the local authority will assume its responsibilities and "ensure that the owners do so too".
"If they don't take responsibility, we will take it for them. Downtown Coimbra deserves this commitment. People demand this transparency. Downtown Coimbra will once again be a safe, lively and lived-in area", she stressed.
Ana Abrunnhosa said that municipal services have been monitoring the situation since the first moment, with "the Municipal Civil Protection, Fire Brigade and PSP [Public Security Police] present from the outset, ensuring swift, concerted and immediate action".
According to Ana Abrunhosa, contact was made early on Sunday afternoon with "the owner of the vacant building, who is responsible for what happened last night."
"The owner of the affected building also arrived promptly at the scene and has been monitoring the procedures continuously," she said, expressing "gratitude to all those involved, for their readiness and sense of responsibility".
To the affected families, she expressed "words of comfort for the difficult time they are going through" and that everything will be done "to overcome the constraints and shock resulting from this situation."
SR/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
