Fires are raging in northern Portugal. On Friday, at least four people died when a helicopter returning from a firefighting mission crashed into the Duero River in the north of the country. The plane's pilot survived the crash, and one person is still missing.
A firefighting helicopter returning from a mission crashed into the Duero River near the Portuguese town of Peso da Regua on Friday afternoon. The regional commander of the maritime police, Rui da Silva Lampreia, said the helicopter's pilot survived the crash. There were six people on board.
– Two bodies were inside the plane and two more were found near the tail of the plane, which had broken in half, Rui da Silva Lampreia told reporters. The cause of the accident has not yet been determined.
The search for the missing gendarme continues
More than 120 people are involved in the search for the missing gendarme, who, like the four deceased colleagues, belonged to a special firefighting unit. By Friday evening, rescuers had managed to extract two bodies from inside the sunken helicopter.
Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, who went to the crash site, announced that Saturday would be a day of national mourning. The accident, which was carrying a large amount of firefighting equipment, was related to a forest fire in the area of ​​Baiao.
Main image source: ENEX