20th June, 2017
Photo: Reuters
A water-bombing plane fighting huge forest fires in central Portugal has crashed, local officials say.
They say the Canadair aircraft went down near Pedrógão Grande. So far there has been no information about casualties.
More than 1,000 firefighters on the ground and aircraft from several countries are battling the blazes, BBC reports.
The fires have claimed the lives of at least 64 people and injured more than 130 since Saturday.
Many of the victims died in their cars as they tried to escape.
Civil protection officials have said they expect the blazes to be under control soon, but warn that soaring temperatures are hampering efforts.
The week’s highest temperatures in the area are expected to reach about 38C (100F) and, together with windy conditions, could reignite fires that have already been brought under control.