Portugal mobilises 'largest firefighting force ever' to tackle wildfires

Lisbon, Sep 20 (IANS) Portugal is mobilising the "largest firefighting force ever" to tackle wildfires that erupted on Sunday and are continuing to ravage Portugal.

"In these most critical days, we had the largest firefighting device ever mobilised in our country," Portugal's Minister of Internal Administration Margarida Blasco told during a press conference, referring to the massive deployment of personnel and resources on Thursday.

According to data from the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority, 37,772 operatives, 10,639 ground vehicles, and 827 air missions have been utilised to battle the fires, Xinhua news agency reported.

The fires have claimed seven lives, left 161 people injured, and destroyed dozens of homes.

As of Wednesday, preliminary reports showed that some 94,146 hectares of land had been scorched. However, data from the European Copernicus system estimated that more than 121,000 hectares have been burned nationwide, with over 100,000 hectares affected in the north and central regions alone, accounting for 83 per cent of the total affected area.

In light of the devastation, the Portuguese government has declared a state of emergency in all municipalities impacted by the fires, announcing that Friday will be a day of national mourning to honour the victims.

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