The PSP report on the death by electrocution of a dog in Parque das Nações indicates that, according to electricians from E-Redes and Lisbon City Council present at the site, a cable trapped in the steel sheath was causing electrical tension in the ground, causing an active current leak with enough charge to cause the animal’s death. The conclusions coincide with the measurements of the Firefighters, who detected 117 volts in the ground.
According to the police document to which DN had access, “Mr.”.
The conclusions recorded by the PSP confirm what was already contained in the report by the Sapadores Firefighters, published by Diário de Notícias. In that document, the firefighters report that “after both pickets arrived, I requested the site to be checked, as some steam was coming out of the pole. The E-Redes staff measured the site and detected that the ground was showing values of 117 volts, so it was concluded that there was an electric current on the ground, possibly from a cable in poor condition underground.” The area was immediately sealed off.
Despite reports from the PSP and the Fire Department, E-Redes discards responsibility in the Parque das Nações case, which occurred on November 15th, only assuming the death of two dogs in Odivelas, also next to a public lighting pole, on November 14th, after heavy rain.
In Odivelas, the company confirms that it found an underground cable with torn insulation, a possible source of electrical discharges at the site. In the capital, the company reiterates that, “after field investigations and examinations carried out”, no flaws were identified in the public service network. Conclusions that apparently indicate that the problem occurred in the luminaire, whose maintenance is the responsibility of the municipality.
Political reactions in unison
The succession of incidents motivated political reactions. Alexandra Leitão, PS councilor, defended a rigorous investigation of the failures that led to the dog’s death by electrocution in the city, while PCP, Livre and BE announced an “immediate questioning” of president Carlos Moedas. In turn, Chega presented a formal request to the municipality to urgently carry out technical actions to municipal electrical infrastructure, including voltage measurements, grounding checks and consultation of maintenance records.
The case also reached Parliament. The PAN presented formal requests for clarification to the Ministry of Environment and Energy and the Lisbon City Council, demanding responsibilities and the immediate reinforcement of inspections in the public lighting network. The application has already been submitted to the Assembly of the Republic.
After Diário de Notícias revealed that the pole in Parque das Nações registered 117 volts on the ground – a failure that killed one of the dogs and which could have put passers-by at risk -, the Lisbon City Council assured that it had inspected other identical equipment in the area, without finding any anomalies.. The municipality emphasizes that the public lighting network is subject to three-yearly checks and additional inspections whenever signs of danger appear.
Regarding maintenance procedures, the municipality also explains that the city’s public lighting system is made up of an infrastructure managed by E-Redes, while the supports, luminaires and the entire electrical installation from the point of energy delivery to the branch boxes are the responsibility of the municipality, in a total of around 75 thousand units distributed throughout the city.