Portugal: Wildfire engulfs forest amid drought and heatwave across country

Several thousand firefighters on Sunday (10 July) battled wildfires in Portugal that authorities say have injured at least 29 people.

The fires come amid an exhausting heatwave, with temperatures expected to reach up to 43C in the coming days.

Local media quoted authorities as saying 12 firefighters and 17 civilians required medical assistance to treat minor injuries caused by the blazes over the weekend.

The government said it had deployed 60 aircraft to support its ground crews, while the European Union has activated its firefighting air fleet assistance programme that allows member nations to share resources.

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