Portugal Shaken: Social Media Erupts After Lisbon Earthquake Coincides with Pinto da Costa's Funeral

Earthquake Sparks Online Reactions

As soon as the earthquake struck, Portuguese citizens flocked to social media, particularly X (formerly Twitter), to share their experiences. One user humorously noted the platform has become the go-to for discussing seismic events.

"I love that the meeting point for Portuguese people in case of an earthquake is Twitter" — Nuno (@WildestNunos)

Surge in Google Searches

Minutes after the quake, Google saw a significant spike in searches for "earthquake," with over 230,000 queries related to the tremor within just 50 minutes. The IPMA (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera) also received thousands of visitors seeking information, but their website struggled to handle the influx of traffic.

Criticism of IPMA's Website

Many users expressed frustration over the IPMA's website failing to respond during critical moments. Comments included:

"It's unthinkable that the IPMA still has a site that crashes when there's an earthquake. Last time in Lisbon, it was down for ages." — Gonçalo Martins (@goncalocmar)

Calls for improved infrastructure were echoed by various users, highlighting the need for reliable server capacity during emergencies.

Political Accountability

Criticism also targeted Lisbon's mayor, Carlos Moedas, with the Socialist Party condemning his inaction. After the last earthquake in August, he had promised an app to assess building vulnerabilities, but five months later, no app had materialized, only a vague suggestion to contact a qualified specialist.

"On the day of the last earthquake, @Moedas promised an app for assessing seismic risk. Five months later, there's no app, just a joke of a website." — PS na CML (@psnacml)

Coincidence with a Funeral

Amid the media attention, the funeral of Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, former president of F.C. Porto, was taking place in the city of Porto. Many social media users drew a connection between the timing of the earthquake and the funeral, noting the historical rivalry between Lisbon and Porto.

"A strong earthquake in Lisbon at the moment the Porto anthem plays at Pinto da Costa's funeral. If there’s proof of something bigger, here it is." — Politicamente Insensível (@Simao_Jorgensen)

Social Media Reactions

Further reactions included remarks about the coincidence of the earthquake occurring right after the F.C. Porto anthem. Some users speculated on the significance of this timing, humorously attributing it to Pinto da Costa's disdain for Lisbon.

"I only know that the FCP anthem just played, and then I felt an earthquake. I don’t think it was a coincidence. The man really hated Lisbon." — Nuno Pontes (@SrDrNuno)