Américo Borges
Volunteer fire station commander and local family doctor who was one of the first responders to the 1985 Mangualde (Alcafache) train disaster and gives detailed eyewitness testimony about the rescue and aftermath.
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Mar 4, 2026 • 11min
Portugal’s worst train disaster
Américo Borges, a volunteer fire station commander and local family doctor who was among the first responders to the 1985 Mangualde train disaster, gives vivid eyewitness testimony. He describes arriving to collapsing carriages, fighting intense fires and diesel leaks, desperate rescue attempts inside burning coaches, the emotional toll on volunteers, and how the catastrophe spurred changes in disaster medicine and rail safety.
