6 dead in road accident
Four members of the same family, and a family friend, all died in the road accident when their car was in collision with another car as they made their way from Faro Airport to their holiday destination near the Spanish Border, while a Portuguese man driving alone in the second car also died.
The family, understood to be from the UK, were travelling north from the Algarve towards Mourao in the district of Evora near the Spanish border, when the tragedy happened in the early hours of this morning (Saturday) on the IP2 main road in Castro Verde, when they were about halfway to their destination. Pic: Shutterstock
It's understood the family had just arrived in Portugal and picked up their hire car at Faro Airport, and were travelling towards the Spanish border when the accident happened.
The victims include two 20-year-old twins, their 55-year-old father and their 51-year-old mum as well as the 19 year old girlfriend of one of the twins, and a Portuguese man who was driving the other car.
Sources said all four members of the same family killed were British passport holders, although the twins' parents originally came from Portugal, and were returning to the area for a summer holiday. FARO, PORTUGAL – JULY 3: A general exterior view of Faro Airport (Gago Coutinho International Airport) on July 3, 2024 in Faro, Portugal. (Photo by)
The girlfriend of one of the boys, who also lost her life in the accident, is believed to be of Polish origin but also lived in the UK.
It's not yet known where in Britain the family had been living or how long they had been living in the UK.
The man travelling alone in the other car has been named locally as Ruben Goncalves, who came from a town in Portugal called Almodovar. He was travelling South on the IP2 while the family were travelling North, when their cars were involved in a head-on collision.
The circumstances surrounding the fatal accident are being investigated by the Portuguese police. Cathedral of Evora Tower Views, Alentejo Region, Evora, Portugal near where the fatal accident occured. PIC – Getty Images
Town hall officials in Mourao have declared two days of mourning starting from tomorrow.
A spokesman said, 'The Municipal Council of Mourao has decreed two days of municipal mourning, effective from tomorrow, Sunday, following the death of five family members involved in a traffic accident last night on the IP2, near Castro Verde'.
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