A rockfall in Marginal da Calheta caused consternation among eyewitnesses yesterday.
Luckily, no one was injured and it appears that no damage had been caused due to the rockfall, however when local newspaper JM tried to gain further clarity of the situation, they were immediately told to speak to the Mayor, who was naturally unavailable.
Later on, the Mayor of Calheta, Carlos Teles, quashed rumours that a sound test performed ahead of the municipalities celebrations had in fact caused the incident, stating:
“It doesn’t make sense, as the rocks fell before 9 am.” He further confirmed that the west side of the beach will be closed to ensure that bathers are no where near the hazardous area.
However, the Mayor was keen to inform tourists that although the promenade is closed for obvious safety reasons, the municipality of Calheta is an excellent place to visit due to its wealth of tourism attractions, including Rabaçal and the Ponta do Pargo lighthouse.
By midday, a new safety barrier had been erected to prevent any further damage from falling stones, as well as provide a work barrier for the ‘rockers’ when they move in to assess, clean and create structural support to the rock face. It is believed that work will continue for the next fortnight.
Unfortunately, the municipality party has had to be cancelled due to the incident.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
