Jut picked this up on the news.

http://www.algarveresident.com/main.asp

There has been at least 1 fatality, it has been on sky news also Albufeira.com forum.

It happened to the east of Albufeira apparently on a beach where there are waring signs regarding rock falls.

3 fatalites and a number of serious injuries.
Portuguese Prime minister has visited the site of the accident.

Latest news copied from admin @ albufeira.com
3 fatalities are now confirmed, 1 child and two men. 6 wounded, 2 seriously have been transported to Faro hospital.
Portuguese President Cavaco Silva, on vacation in the region, has visited the locality and Prime Minister José Socrates has also arrived on location after cancelling a visit to a school in Albufeira.

The area was known to be hazardous for several years and signs were posted to alert people of the danger. Although some say the signs were placed too high for people to see them, it was clear that the cliffs were a menace.

Another update the fatality list has now risen to 5 with one person still missing feared dead. How tragic

There are large over hanging rocks on most of Algarves beaches, which at some point will come down, its just a matter of time. I too have spent the last few weeks sunbathing underneath them, you just never imagine it'll happen when you're there.

jkspoff wrote:There are large over hanging rocks on most of Algarves beaches, which at some point will come down, its just a matter of time. I too have spent the last few weeks sunbathing underneath them, you just never imagine it'll happen when you're there.

Thats very true. I think a lot of it is due to minor earthquakes that go on all the time (you are not always aware of them.I recall Biffa saying that they happen frequently)...
please don't lay under overhanging cliffs..as I said over on chitchat, they are made of sandstone and could crumble at any time. A few years ago I believe a man was killed by doing just that.....think it was at Praia da Rocha?

Tragic that those lives have been lost....God rest them.

There was a tremor last Tuesday measuring 4.2 off the coast which is quite high compared with the norm for around there. It's showing as being "felt" which is also unusual. Could well have loosened up the cliff and probably a few others! http://www.meteo.pt/en/sismologia/actividade/ the red dots are the ones that are felt.

How awful. I have noticed the cliff face is covered (in parts) with a wire mesh. This alone should serve as a warning about falling rocks. The beach is quite wide and there's plenty of room to lie out without having to do it so close to the cliffs.

When we lived in the Lagoa apartment there was a strong quake that shook the whole building...Hub tried to kid me it was a lorry passing by but I knew what it was

Im sure it was Biffa who said that tiny quakes go on all the time, off the coast? But we don't notice them?

So I suppose the message is stay away from the cliffs whilst sunbathing? Mind you its a bit difficult if the beach is a small one?

p.s. The quake we had here in Lincs early last year frightened the life out of me....specially as I was laying in bed and the bookshelf fell on me! We don't have a lot of protection when it comes to mother nature..