Global General

Special

Newsmaker

Asia Pacific

America

Middle East

Europe

Africa

Landslide on Portuguese beach kills 1

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-08-22 01:34

LISBON: A landslide at a Portuguese seaside resort killed one person and injured at least eight others Friday, officials said. Two people were missing.

Part of a cliff collapsed and buried bathers at Maria Luisa beach in Albufeira on the Algarve coast, said Marques Pereira, the head of maritime facilities in Faro.

Related readings:  Over 300 dead from heavy rains in China since April   Rescue continues after landslide kills four in Sichuan   Central China rainstorm kills 10  Four dead, 23 trapped in SW landslide  Search for landslide victims likely to suspend

The nationalities of those involved in the accident were not disclosed. New reports said the fatality was a 60-year-old man.

Two of the injured were in serious condition in Faro hospital while other injuries were minor, Pereira said.

The section of beach under the cliff that collapsed had been cordoned off with warning signs pointing out the danger of a possible landslide, Pereira said.

"The sandstone of the cliff was pretty fragile and a risk of a landslide existed to the point that the maritime authority had placed warning signs," Pereira said.

Rescue efforts were concentrated in trying to find a man and a child under the rubble before the tide came in to hamper emergency workers, Pereira said.

Prime Minister Jose Socrates and other officials traveled to Albufeira to oversee rescue operations.

Spanish state broadcaster RNE said a Spanish man had been rescued from the scene.