Share

Car-nage: Music festival fire burns hundreds of cars

Lisbon, Portugal - The parking lot of an open-air music and dance festival in Portugal resembles a vehicle graveyard after a wildfire gutted 422 cars.

Police on Thursday inspected the long lines of charred vehicles and insurance investigators assessed the damage.

Authorities said there were no casualties in the blaze that broke out Wednesday, forcing the evacuation of some 4000 people at the festival site in eastern Portugal.

Musician Pedro Mestre told broadcaster TVI that the cars exploded one after the other - "like popcorn" — as the fire spread quickly through the lot.

Exploding car

Belo Costa, district commander of Portalegre Relief Operations, said that the fire might have been caused by an "explosion in a vehicle" at the park. 

Carlos Guerra, Portugese National Civil Protection Authority,  said: "The fire started in a vehicle and spread rapidly to other vehicles and then to the surrounding bush." 

Watch: Cars torched during at Portuguese music festival

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE