Rio Tinto apartment fire displaces 20 people and injures firefighter

A fire broke out in a three-story building located at Rua da Cavada Nova in Rio Tinto, Gondomar, on Sunday afternoon. The emergency alert was issued at 16:58, leading to the evacuation of the building.

The blaze resulted in 20 people being displaced. Of these, 18 were residents of the affected building, while two individuals from adjacent buildings were evacuated as a precaution. According to local fire commander Marco Martins, six people found their own overnight accommodations, while 14 were referred to municipal Civil Protection services.

A firefighter sustained minor injuries during the operation and was transported to Santo António Hospital in Porto. The firefighting effort involved 27 personnel and 12 vehicles. By 19:45, the fire had reached the cooling phase. One cat was reported dead in the incident.