Deadly fires devour Galicia

Four people have died in forest fires which have been destroying parts of Galicia since the weekend. The province of Pontevedra has been the worst hit with the Peugeot Citröen factory in Vigo being evacuated due to its proximity to the flames.

The president of the Galician government declared the situation to be critical as some of the fires were still out of control on Monday. Between Friday and Sunday more than one hundred fires broke out in the region; the majority are thought to have been started intentionally. Some of the flames spread dangerously close to the city of Vigo, which has 300,000 inhabitants, due to strong winds from Hurricane Ophelia.

The most recent death was a 70-year-old man in Vigo who died after falling while trying to extinguish the flames. Two elderly women died in Nigrán.

Portugal is also being plagued by fires, with 443 fires breaking out on Sunday. Several people have been reported as dead.

At 2pm on Monday afternoon there were 105 active fires, of which only 38 were under control.