Portugal observes day of national mourning after seven die in wildfires

The country has burned more than 121,000 hectares of land since Sunday with seven fatalities.

Transcript

00:00The days-long wildfires in Portugal have begun to die down, but they have left a lasting

00:08impact. The major fires in the Avairo district have been completely contained, but two fires

00:13are still ongoing in Castrudaire. Over 2,400 operatives were mobilized there, and firefighters

00:21now declare the flames to be under control.

00:25Portugal's government has declared this Friday a day of national mourning, according to official

00:29figures, five people died in the fires and 161 were injured.

00:35Over 121,000 hectares in mainland Portugal have been burned, including some of the country's

00:41main tourist attractions, which have had to close. Residents of Avairo and its surroundings

00:47have begun assessing the damage. Many have lost their homes and their businesses.

00:53Four districts in Portugal are now on yellow alert for heavy rain, which would help firefighters

00:58to contain the remaining fires, but may also be bad news. The loss of vegetation cover

01:03increases the risk of potential landslides.