Fire/Accident: Engineer of Cape Verdean descent in the US volunteers to improve road safety.

António Price, a fourth-generation Cape Verdean resident in the United States, was on vacation in Fogo with a nephew and a cousin, with the purpose of strengthening family ties, when the accident occurred that caused 25 deaths, mostly children and teenagers.

Deeply shaken by the tragedy, he mobilized family and friends in the United States and managed to raise around 100,000 escudos, an amount deposited into the solidarity account created by the São Filipe City Council to support the affected families.

However, she believes that financial assistance, while important, is not enough and intends to contribute with her professional experience as well.

With degrees in mechanical and civil engineering and experience in the fields of architectural engineering, roads, buildings, and schools, António Price proposes to collaborate with the authorities in identifying measures aimed at improving road safety on the island.

In an interview with Radio Cabo Verde, he stated that he is available to provide his services free of charge, without charging for his expertise, and advocated for collaboration with the relevant authorities to develop protection projects and solutions.

In their assessment, some roads in Fogo have problems related to visibility, signage, and lighting, aspects that they believe should be priorities for intervention by the authorities.

He also advocated for the installation of temporary barriers in areas where landslides occur, until permanent structures such as retaining walls or protective fences are implemented.

António Price stressed that road safety must be based on several layers of protection, from signage and improved visibility to containment infrastructure, in order to reduce risks even in the event of human or mechanical failures.

The engineer hopes to establish contacts with the São Filipe City Council and other entities to discuss forms of collaboration, including a possible trip to the island in December.

“We need to find a solution so that this doesn’t happen again,” said António Price, offering a message of solidarity to the victims’ families and advocating for continued action to prevent future tragedies.

JR/JMV

Inforpress/End