Portugal forest fire kills 62; officials search for more bodies
19 Jun 2017 12:51 PM IST19 Jun 2017 12:51 PM IST
The disaster - the worst tragedy Portugal has experienced in decades - shook the nation.
On Tuesday over 4,000 firefighters and troops backed by 19 water bombers had already been mobilised to extinguish the flames. (Photo: Representational/ File)- Police and firefighters were searching charred areas of the forest and isolated homes, looking for more bodies.
- A huge wall of thick smoke and bright red flames towered over the tops of trees in the forested Pedrogao Grande area.
- \"It is a time of pain but also ... a time to carry on the fight\" against the flames, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa told the nation
- Spain sent four firefighting aircraft on Sunday, France was sending three and Greece's prime minister also offered firefighting help.
- More than 350 soldiers on Sunday joined the 700 firefighters who have been struggling to put out the blaze
- Almost 24 hours after the deaths Saturday night, fires were still churning across the forested hillsides of central Portugal.
A raging forest fire in central Portugal killed at least 62 people as they desperately tried to flee, charring cars and trucks as it swept over roads.
The disaster - the worst tragedy Portugal has experienced in decades - shook the nation.
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