“Unfortunately, the factory was completely destroyed”, said
the vice-president of the municipality, Magda Rodrigues, stating that only “the
office and archival material” were saved.
According to the official, 20 people worked in the family
business (mostly women), making the company a “very significant” employer for the
municipality in the district of Coimbra.
“We have already spoken with the owner and the owner's
children, having indicated, from a strictly legal point of view, that
everything is in compliance and we will follow up as necessary” for the
activation of insurance, she clarified.
According to Magda Rodrigues, there is still no indication
of the total amount of damage caused by the fire at the factory, nor the total
area burned by the fire that broke out at 3:30 pm on Monday and was declared
extinct at 3:18 am today.
“We will go to the
field to assess the impact of the fire,” she said, noting that she has no
indication of material damage other than the factory.
Contrary to reports on Monday by a source from the District
Command of Relief Operations (CDOS) of Coimbra, Magda Rodrigues stressed that
“it is not yet confirmed if the factory was the focus of the fire”.