The assistant sergeant who died in a military vehicle explosion while on a mission to dispose of explosives at the Campo Militar de Santa Margarida in Santarém this Thursday was 47 years old.
Carlos Mota was specialist of the 1st Army Engineer Regiment in Tankos, and has already had several assignments abroad: one to Bosnia and Herzegovina as the commander of the engineering module section and two in Lebanon as the head of the road transport section. TThere were a dozen thanks, national and foreign. As well as the Medal for Military Merit and D. Afonso Henriquez.
Carlos Mota was married and has two daughters. In 1996 he entered the Sargents School. Lived in Entronmento.
The explosion also injured five people, two in serious condition, all army engineers specializing in the disposal of explosives (known as army sappers) who were inside the car.
One of the seriously wounded, senior sergeant. 38 years, is in critical condition, connected to life support and was transported by helicopter to the University Hospital of Coimbra. He was the one who maneuvered tracked vehicle used to bury explosive devices.
The second seriously injured is a 23-year-old soldier who had bruises, minor burns and tinnitus. The remaining three victims, aged 22, 23 and 28, suffered minor injuries and traveled to Abrantes, but were transferred to Lisbon due to minor eye injuries.
It was 4:40 p.m. when, according to the army, a team led by Sergeant Mot was called in to “destroy munitions, explosives and fireworks on site.” ABOUT cm he knows that this week there were artillery exercises and the task, which, by the way, was “general”, was to “clear” the area. Buried devices with current-carrying loads, with the help of a machine.
The “unexpected explosion”, as it is called in the army, caught the team by surprise. Mota died instantly. Five colleagues were injured and are out of danger. A military bailiff is investigating the “accident” and army psychologists are supporting Carlos Mota’s family, injured and colleagues.
Author: Sergio A. Vitorino, Miguel Curado This Isabelle Jordan
Source: CM Jornal
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