Hintze Ribeiro disaster


At about 21:00 on the night of 4 March 2001, the Hintze Ribeiro disaster occurred when the steel and concrete Hintze Ribeiro Bridge collapsed in Entre-os-Rios, Castelo de Paiva, Portugal, killing 59 people, including those in a bus and three cars that were crossing the Douro river. Fast waters and a storm at the time gave no chance for an immediate rescue, and the victims drowned. The strong river current carried bodies downstream more than to the Atlantic ocean. Bodies were found as far away as the north coast of Spain and one even in France. Hours after the accident, the Minister of Transportation Jorge Coelho resigned. The following week, dozens of bridges across Portugal were closed for immediate repair. The tragedy caused widespread shock across the nation, with all television networks broadcasting continuous news bulletins, and many solidarity campaigns being organized to help the victims' relatives.
The bridge had linked Castelo de Paiva and Entre-os-Rios. After the loss of the bridge, residents of Castelo de Paiva had to travel an additional 70 km to reach the Porto area. The bridge was more than 100 years old. The collapse was caused by uncontrolled sand extraction over many years, which compromised the stability of the bridge's pillars. Warnings from divers and technicians had been ignored. The sand extractors were prosecuted and sued.