'Over 20 dead' as wildfires sweep Portugal and Spain

More than 20 people were today feared to have died in devastating wildfires in Portugal and Spain’s north-west Galicia region.

Portuguese authorities said overnight that six people had been killed, but later reports said the number of dead numbered at least 20

A 19-year-old pregnant woman was among those killed as she struck another car while trying to flee flames in one of 500 forest fires across Portugal.

Strong winds brought in by the tail-end of Hurricane Ophelia and high temperatures provided the perfect scenario for the spread of the fires, most of which are thought to have been deliberately started.

Respected daily Correio da Manha said at least 20 had died in different parts of the country’s central region.

At least three people died in Spain, including two women trapped in their van in Nigran 10 miles south of the city of Vigo yesterday.

Galician President Alberto Nunez Feijoo described the situation as “critical” as 17 fires near populated areas in the region remained active this morning (MON) after a weekend with more than 200 separate blazes.

Claiming firefighters had been tackling “homicide incendiary activity”, he said: “We are dealing with deliberately-started fires by people who know what to burn, how to burn it and the places to pick.”

Distressing footage showed panicked locals driving along smoke-filled roads with walls of flames either side.

In the coastal resort town of Baiona in southern Galicia, people were filmed abandoning their homes as they were surrounded by fire.

The city of Vigo, where locals in a human chain were pictured using buckets of water to tackle flames encroaching on their houses, was one of the worst affected.