Forest Fire in Portugal kills 58 people
News Desk
A raging forest fire in central Portugal killed at least 58 people, most of them were trapped in their cars while driving in the area. Nearly 60 other people were injured, and destroyed several homes the Portuguese government said on Sunday.
Prime Minister Antonio Costa on Sunday called this is “the biggest tragedy of human life that we have known in years.”
The cause of the fire, which started on Saturday afternoon, was not immediately clear. According to the Portuguese media a lightning strike is believed to have sparked the blaze in the Pedrogao Grande area after investigators found a tree that was hit during a “dry thunderstorm,” . Fire fighters were battling to prevent the fire from spreading to more houses.
Dozens of smaller fires also broke out in other parts of Portugal on Saturday, and 11 districts were kept under surveillance on Sunday because of an extreme fire risk.
