Chapel inaugurated in Alcafache 40 years after tragedy

A chapel honoring emigrants will be inaugurated on Sunday in Alcafache, next to the Beira Alta Line, at the site where, 40 years ago, Portugal's worst railway accident occurred.

On September 11, 1985, late in the afternoon, a Sud-Express train bound for Paris, packed with emigrants, and a Regional train bound for Coimbra collided head-on on the Beira Alta Line between Mangualde and Nelas. The exact number of deaths remains unknown.

A memorial has existed in honor of the victims for several years and, in recent months, works have been carried out to give the site "more dignity," José Augusto Sá, who lost his father and sister in this tragic accident and heads the committee that has organized the annual tributes, told Lusa news agency on Tuesday.

“A small chapel will be inaugurated, with the image of Our Lady of Emigrants,” said Augusto Sá, explaining that it is an image inspired by the image of Our Lady of Navigators, but that, instead of the prow of a boat, it has a sphere symbolizing the globe.

The chapel was built on the side of the memorial and will allow for the necessary gathering for prayers for the victims.

A toponymic plaque with the inscription “Travessa do 11 de Setembro de 1985 — Tragédia ferrovia” (Track of September 11, 1985 — Railway Tragedy) was also installed at the site, and the long-requested paving was applied.

“With so many feelings mixed together, this year I have to applaud,” he said.

Augusto Sá said that he also asked CP to place “a carriage to symbolize what happened in Alcafache” at the site, but this was not possible given its size and the costs it would entail.

"CP has designed a prototype bodywork, on which the carriage rests, weighing seven tons. Everything indicates that it will be in place by Sunday," he said.

In the future, he added, there will also be information on site that will allow us to understand the scale of the tragedy.

According to Augusto Sá, the presence of General Ramalho Eanes, who was President of the Republic in 1985, the Secretary of State for Communities, mayors and representatives of fire departments and other entities has been confirmed for Sunday's ceremony.

On September 11, 1985, Augusto Sá lost his father and sister, whose bodies were apparently charred and never found.

With no graves to visit to "talk" to family members, he intensely experiences the ceremony honoring the victims of Alcafache every year, which he has been organizing since 2002.

Augusto Sá recalled that the accident was due to human error and that the Sud-Express was transporting “more than 400 emigrants” from the districts of Viseu, Coimbra, Aveiro, Viana, Braga and Vila Real, who were returning to their host country after holidays in Portugal.

The exact number of victims resulting from the head-on collision has never been determined. Estimates made at the time by newspapers, eyewitnesses, and other sources ranged from 40 to 200 dead.

Many bodies were charred and never identified. These remains were placed in an open grave where the memorial now stands.