Forest fires kill dozens in Portugal

Forest fires kill dozens in Portugal

Portuguese Republican National Guard soldiers battle with a forest fire in central Portugal - EPA

(Vatican Radio) Raging forest fires in central Portugal have killed at least 62 people, many of them trapped in their cars as flames swept over a road.

Portugal has declared three days of national mourning for the victims of the blaze.

A lightning strike is believed to have sparked the fire in the Pedrogao Grande area 150 kilometers northeast of Lisbon.

The prime minister Antonio Costa today called the fires ``the biggest tragedy'' the country has experienced in years.

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