Death toll from Portuguese fires rises to four with 40 injured

Four people have lost their lives in the 23 forest fires raging in Portugal since Sunday, with the number of injured at 40, the latest count from the civil protection agency ANEPC showed, the Lusa news agency reported on Tuesday.

More than 5,000 firefighters, members of the civil defence and soldiers are fighting the nearly two dozen blazes, mainly in the north and centre of the country, the agency said. A total of 21 firefighting aircraft and helicopters are also said to be in use.

EU partners send rapid assistance

Eight fire-fighting aircraft sent by EU partners in response to a call for help from Lisbon on Monday assisted with the extinguishing work, with two planes each coming from Spain, Italy, France and Greece. The forest fire alarm, which was originally set to expire on Tuesday, has been extended until Thursday evening.

"We will have a hard time in the next few days. We have to prepare for it," warned Prime Minister Luís Montenegro.

Portugal had been spared major forest fires this year, but in less than 48 hours, more than 10,000 hectares have now been affected, according to official figures.

While there were fires in many places, the Aveiro district, some 50 kilometres south of Porto, was the worst affected.

Three of the four fatalities were recorded there: a firefighter and a civilian who suffered heart attacks while fighting the flames, and an employee of a forestry company. In the neighbouring district of Viseu, the body of an 83-year-old woman was recovered.

According to official figures, around four dozen buildings and countless vehicles were destroyed by the blaze in Albergaria-a-Velha, Sever do Vouga and other municipalities in the Aveiro region. More than 100 people were evacuated, according to reports.

Four people were detained on suspicion of arson. It is not yet known whether the arrests are related to the current major fires.

Several motorways and some country roads were still partially closed on Tuesday. Train and long-distance bus services were severely disrupted.

The smoke darkened the sky over the district capital Aveiro and other communities. Citizens were urged to stay at home and use as little water as possible.