Forest fire kills at least 61 in Portugal
So, last night, over 60 people died (61 according to the authorities) when a huge forest fire started, in the location of Pedrógão Grande, Leiria, here in Portugal, and some of those people, unknowingly, were driving towards their final destination.
According to the official authorities, the forest fire was caused by lighting, so, at least, this was not a crime.
The fire rapidly engulfed the surronding areas, causing a great amount of smoke, due to the fact that it hadn’t rained in days, and Portugal is undergoing a period of high temperatures, or as it is more commonly known, a heat wave, leading temperatures up as high as 40/45ºC yesterday.
Reduced visibility rendered the fire unknown to those who were driving through the roads nearby, and as soon as some started to notice, it was to late to go back for those which the fire had already surrounded. Some people were caught by the fire as it reached the roadsides, and as they were trying to escape, car accidents took place, making it impossible to drive through.
So basically people were driving towards this wall of smoke, only to hit something a few yards ahead.
Those who managed to escape the place, 54 according to official numbers, got away with slight injuries or smoke inalation related issues, and were sent to hospitals in Coimbra, Lisboa and Porto.
So far, the fire is still active, with 4 active fronts, and aerial aid has been requested to Spain and France. The brave fireman involved have been fighting this fire to prevent more people to get affected.
Updates: The number of victims was updated to 61 in the last minutes. 2 of the 4 active fire fronts are starting to be controlled by the firemen. Further updates will be coming through the day The Government has decreted 3 days of national mourning. Although the number of dead has decreased from 62 to 61, the death toll is expected to rise within the next hours
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