SAUDI GAZETTE

After the fire

The two huge fires in Europe, in London’s Grenfell Tower and the central region forests of Portugal, are a study in contrast as to what authorities should be doing after the blazes were put under control. They can pray for the dead and apologise to the families of the victims but if it stops at that, they’re not doing their job properly. In Great Britain, much action has been taken in the wake of the high-rise fire. In Portugal, in contrast, the pace of action has been much slower. Both the government and the emergency services of Portugal have been criticised over their response to the fires, so it is not premature to talk about possible state failings.