Portugal forest fires kill 58 near Coimbra

[DFighter]

A catastrophic forest fire in Portugal has claimed at least 58 lives, officials say.

 

Most died while trying to flee the Pedrógão Grande area, 50 km (30 miles) south-east of Coimbra, in their cars, according to the government.

Several firefighters are among the 59 people injured.

"Unfortunately this seems to be the greatest tragedy we have seen in recent years in terms of forest fires," said Prime Minister Antonio Costa.

The death toll could rise further, he said.

Secretary of State for the Interior Jorge Gomes said that 30 of those who died were found inside cars, with another 17 next to the vehicles, on one road leading on to the IC8 motorway.

Another 11 died in a village next to the motorway, Mr Gomes said.



Media in Portugal said the fire is no closer to being contained despite about 600 firefighters working to put it out.

Among the 59 injured was an eight-year-old girl with burns found wandering alone close to the fire, the Correio do Manhã newspaper reported.









more pictures here : http://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-40317711

Six firefighters are seriously wounded, national broadcaster RTP said, and two are reported missing.

The Correio do Manhã warned that many areas hit by the fire had not yet been reached by authorities, so the death toll was likely to increase.

About 60 forest fires broke out across the country overnight, with close to 1,700 firefighters battling them across Portugal.

The flames spread "with great violence" on four fronts near Pedrógão Grande, Mr Gomes said.

Spain has sent two water-bombing planes to help tackle the fires, and the European Union is co-ordinating an international firefighting and relief effort.

It is not yet known what caused the fire, however Mr Costa said thunderstorms could have been one possible cause.

Portugal has been experiencing a heatwave, with temperatures of more than 40C (104F) in some areas.

"This is a region that has had fires because of its forests, but we cannot remember a tragedy of these proportions," Valdemar Alves, the mayor of Pedrógão Grande, was

quoted as saying by the Associated Press agency.

"I am completely stunned by the number of deaths."

What happens next? Alison Roberts, BBC News, Lisbon

We have had large-scale fires before over the past couple of decades - this year is not unusual in that respect - but it is certainly unusual to have so many fatalities in one place. Portuguese officials are visibly shocked.

There were very particular circumstances with the lightning strikes here - this fire started with a dry lightning strike. There has been rainfall elsewhere but there was no rain there, and this is a heavily-forested area.

Getting it under control depends not only on temperatures, which do seem as though they will be high, but on the wind above all. It is very much in the hands of Mother Nature.

Source video and more photo's: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40316934

 

[CheepHeep]

Thats crazy! All those people. Such a waste. Thanks for sharing DF.

[zrong]

Unfortunately our country is full of eucalyptus trees. A native tree from Australia brought here many years ago for the timber industry. It is a type of tree that adapts to any type of soil. Only it consumes a lot of water and basically dries everything around it. Each tree can consume 30 L of water per day. The negative impacts are not even numerous to mention.

Every year a part of the country burns, natural and protected areas or not. And with that a part of the country dies. Whole saws are almost all dry. Most of the causes are of human origin, but there is no correct penalty for those who commit such great barbarity.

Ironically, the cause of this catastrophe is apparently natural: thunderstorm.

I woke up to my ash-filled terrain. My loft is all dirty. The sun has died since yesterday. I live quite far away.

There are still populations trapped in the middle of the fire. The fight is far from the end. All help is needed. Either with food or with water help to firefighters. Even with airplanes coming from Spain, it is not enough.

I live with the strange and comforting idea that tragedies of this dimension do not happen here. This ruthless number is climbing nonstop, almost 70 this time, as the hours pass.

I spent great moments of vacations and leisure in that location that is closer to Leiria than to Coimbra. At this moment I do not even know if I have friends among the dead.
It makes me even sadder that I can not go and help the place for personal / family reasons. The only form of help is with assets for the evicted people.

Now I'll try to see some of the Confederations Cup.

Peace.