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WORLD NEWS Monday 19 June 2017
Raging forest fire kills 61 in Portugal; many as they fled

of the country on Sunday ed homes for more bodies. but thought it was very far.
but the one in Pedrogao More than 350 soldiers on I never thought it would
Grande was responsible for Sunday joined the 700 fire- come to this side,” she said
all the deaths. fighters who have been Sunday. “At 3:30 a.m., my
“The dimensions of this fire struggling to put out the mother-in-law woke me up
have caused a human blaze. Authorities say tem- quickly and we never went
tragedy beyond any in our peratures as high as 40 to sleep again. We were
memory,” said Prime Minis- degrees Celsius (104 Fahr- afraid the fire would reach
ter Antonio Costa told re- enheit) in the area in re- us.”
porters on his arrival at the cent days might have also Other locals were also
scene Sunday. “Something played a part in the inferno. shocked.
extraordinary has taken The forest fire deaths were “This is a region that has
place and we have to wait the biggest in memory in had fires because of its
for technicians to properly Portugal, which saw 25 Por- forests, but we cannot re-
determine its causes.” tuguese soldiers die fight- member a tragedy of these
Police investigators stand by a burnt car on the road between He said the death toll was ing wildfires in 1966. Last proportions,” said Valde-
Castanheira de Pera and Figueiro dos Vinhos, central Portugal, lowered from the previ- August, an outbreak of fires mar Alves, the mayor of
Sunday, June 18 2017. Raging forest fires in central Portugal ously reported 62 victims across Portugal killed four Pedrogao Grande. “I am
killed more than 50 people, many of them trapped in their cars because one person had people, including three on completely stunned by the
as flames swept over a road, in what the prime minister on Sun- been counted twice. the island of Madeira, and number of deaths.”
day called “the biggest tragedy of human life that we have
known in years.” However, he added that destroyed huge areas of State broadcaster RTP
(AP Photo/Armando Franca) “there’s no point in feel- forest. showed terrifying images
ing joyful for that, because Resident Isabel Brandao of several people on a
By HELENA ALVES Grande area some 150 kilo- surely we will find more vic- told The Associated Press road trying to escape the
ARMANDO FRANCA meters (95 miles) northeast tims as we progres.” Police that she had feared for her intense smoke that had
Associated Press of Lisbon where a lightning are searching charred ar- life when she saw the blaze. reduced visibility to a few
PEDROGAO GRANDE, Por- strike was believed to have eas of the forest and isolat- “Yesterday we saw the fire meters (yards).
tugal (AP) — A raging for- sparked the blaze Satur-
est fire in central Portu- day. Investigators found
gal sent flames sweeping a tree that was hit during
over roads, killing at least a “dry thunderstorm,” the
61 people, many of them head of the national judi-
trapped in their cars as cial police told Portuguese
they tried to flee, officials media.
said Sunday. The coun- Dry thunderstorms are fre-
try’s prime minister called it quent when falling water
“the biggest tragedy” that evaporates before reach-
Portugal has experienced ing the ground because of
in decades and declared high temperatures. Portu-
three days of national gal, like most southern Eu-
mourning. ropean countries, is prone
A huge wall of thick smoke to forest fires in the dry sum-
and bright red flames tow- mer months. At least four
ered over the top of trees other significant wildfires
in the forested Pedrogao affected different areas

Banned building materials

suspected in London blaze

By GREGORY KATZ insulation, helped spread
Associated Press the flames quickly up the
LONDON (AP) — The new outside of the public hous-
exterior cladding used in ing tower early Wednes-
a renovation on London’s day morning. Some said
Grenfell Tower may have they had never seen a
been banned under U.K. building fire advance so
building regulations, two quickly. The 24-story tower
British ministers said Sunday that once housed up to
as police continued their 600 people in 120 apart-
criminal investigation into ments is now a charred
the inferno that killed at ruin. Hands and Treasury
least 58 people. chief Philip Hammond said
Trade Minister Greg Hands in separate TV appearanc-
said the government is es that the cladding used
carrying out an “urgent on Grenfell seems to be
inspection” of the roughly prohibited by British regu-
2,500 similar tower blocks lations. Hands cautioned
across Britain to assess their that officials don’t yet
safety. have exact details about
Experts believe the exterior the renovation that ended
cladding, which contained just last year.