Atlânticoline’s maritime passenger transport operation will resume this afternoon in the Azores, following the cancellation of trips between Faial, Pico and São Jorge, due to the damage caused by the Hipólito depression at the Horta maritime terminal.
“The assessment of the passenger terminal’s wet area has already been carried out this morning by a pilot boat from Portos dos Açores and the conditions are in place for ships to dock,” Lieutenant Pereira David, deputy captain of the Port of Horta, told Lusa, adding that Atlânticoline now has the ‘green light’ to resume operations in Horta.
On Thursday, depression Hipólito led to an increase in sea waves in the Azores, from the southeast quadrant, causing a strong swell in the coastal area of the city of Horta, which caused damage and flooding to houses and commercial establishments and also to the passenger terminal, which was rendered inoperable.
“We know and have information about the damage that has been reported at the Horta passenger terminal, which is still not operational and will take some time to become so,” said Pereira David.
Despite this, a source from the public company Atlânticoline assured Lusa that connections between the islands of the Triangle (Faial, Pico and São Jorge) will resume this afternoon in the area of the Horta passenger terminal, which is undergoing cleaning and maintenance work.
Thursday’s strong swell in the Central Group of the Azores overturned the protective pier of the passenger pier, destroying the doors and roof of the terminal and also flooding the passenger embarkation and disembarkation halls and even the parking lot, which was covered in stones and debris.
Despite the cancellation of maritime passenger connections, the “Cruzeiro do Canal”, one of Atlânticoline’s vessels, made an unscheduled connection this morning between Horta and Madalena (Pico Island), to transport two patients to Horta Hospital.
The Azores Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service is maintaining a yellow warning for the Eastern Group until 2pm on Saturday, but only due to the forecast of heavy rain and thunderstorms.