TWO firefighters have been killed and three left fighting for life after their truck skidded off the road and plunged into a ravine while on an emergency call in Portugal.
The horrific accident happened around 7pm on Sunday in the village of São Francisco de Assis as the crew rushed to tackle a blaze in Quinta do Campo, Fundão.
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The fire engine veered off the road and crashed into a ravine, leaving devastation in its wake.
One of the injured firefighters had to be airlifted by helicopter to Coimbra, SIC Notícias reports.
According to the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), 26 operators were mobilized to the accident scene, supported by nine vehicles and an aircraft.
Teams from the Covilhã and Fundão Volunteer Firefighters, the National Republican Guard (GNR), and the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) were also deployed.
In a statement, ANEPC paid tribute: “It is never enough to emphasize the commitment, altruism and professionalism with which, every day, thousands of firefighters across the country dedicate themselves, with courage and dedication, to defending the population and the forest against fires.”
The force offered condolences to the families of the victims and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also expressed his sorrow, lamenting “the tragic death” of a firefighter “while serving the community” in the battle against rural fires.
The head of state highlighted the sacrifice of firefighters nationwide, noting the crash came after “10 days of uninterrupted donation without limits of time and space” by those on the frontlines.
Portugal is battling hundreds of raging wildfires that have swept across the country in recent weeks, part of a wave of deadly blazes scorching southern Europe.
Terrifying footage even showed a rare fire tornado erupting in the northern region of Aguiar de Beira, underlining the extreme conditions firefighters are facing.
Just weeks ago, a former mayor of Vila Franca do Deão lost his life fighting the flames — bringing the death toll from this year’s fires in Portugal to three.
Nearly 4,000 firefighters have been deployed across Portugal, backed by aircraft and emergency teams from neighbouring Spain.
The government has extended its high-risk alert, warning that more blazes could flare as searing heat and strong winds continue.
Elsewhere, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Italy and Bulgaria have all been ravaged by infernos this summer.
Tenerife saw mass evacuations after fires surged towards popular tourist resorts, while in Turkey at least 17 people have died as record-breaking 50C heat and gale-force winds fuelled disaster.
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