A fundraiser has been launched to support the families of the three Romanian workers who died in a workplace accident in Almancil, Loulé on Monday.
The victims have been named as Vasile Bilan, Rodrigo Beuca and David Beuca, who were members of the same family – two brothers and their uncle.
They were found inside a water reservoir at a private property where they had been carrying out waterproofing work.
Their deaths have left relatives facing not only an enormous personal loss but also the financial burden of funeral costs and supporting family members left behind, including young children.
The fundraising appeal was created by Lara O’Malley, who said the wider Algarve community wanted to offer practical help to the families.
“As members of the wider Algarve community, we hope to come together to offer some practical support to the families of these three men who tragically lost their lives while working in our area,” she wrote. “All donations will go directly to the families.”
According to the fundraiser, the money will be paid directly through GoFundMe to designated family beneficiaries and used towards funeral expenses and financial support during the coming weeks and months.
“Any contribution, however small, would be greatly appreciated. If you are unable to donate, sharing this page would also be a huge help,” the appeal adds.
At the time of writing, the fundraiser had already raised nearly €56,000.
ACT investigating accident
Meanwhile, Portugal’s Authority for Working Conditions (ACT) has confirmed that it is investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The three men, aged between 21 and 40, were employees of a construction company and had been working inside a water reservoir at a private home in Quinta do Lago, Almancil.
“Three workers from a construction company were found lifeless inside a water reservoir at a private residence in Quinta do Lago, where they were carrying out waterproofing work,” a source from the Faro GNR Territorial Command told Lusa.
The ACT said inspectors had attended the site and collected information “for the purpose of preparing an inquiry”.
It added that “inspection procedures” are underway to determine exactly how the accident occurred and whether employment and workplace health and safety legislation was being complied with.
“However, at this stage, no further information regarding the accident is available, not least because of the need to safeguard the ongoing investigation,” the authority said.
The emergency alert was raised at 12.53pm on Monday.
Emergency crews attempted resuscitation, but all three men were declared dead at the scene.
The precise cause of their deaths has not yet been publicly established.