Between January and August this year, CM claims, 199 accidents and 176 cases of physical assault have been registered in Albufeira.
In August alone emergency services were called out to 48 crashes and 35 victims of physical attacks. Medical emergency services were also dispatched 32 times during the first 10 days of September.
Commandant António Zua Coelho, head of the Albufeira fire brigade, which is often a first line of response in both types of situations, told CM: “This year we have registered a rise in operational activity in terms of medical emergencies, namely sudden illnesses, road accidents, and assaults related to excessive drinking.”
He said the tendency is for these incidents to keep on rising during the first days of September.
“There is a lack of means for the region’s year-round population”, António Zua Coelho warned, adding: “There is an urgent need for resources to be adjusted.”