Lisbon car fire horror as six ‘burned to death’ in inferno outside US Embassy

The victims are believed to have burned to death after a driver lost control of the vehicle in Lisbon in the early hours of this morning.

Six young people have died after a car crashed and caught fire next to the US Embassy in Lisbon.

The victims, three boys and three girls, aged between 18 and 20, are believed to have burned to death after the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle in the early hours of this morning.

The alarm was sounded about 3.40am local time. Local reports said the driver of the gutted BMW had lost control of the vehicle in an accident after a “distraction” at the wheel before it came off the road burst into flames. Local news website SIC News reported the car “had five seats, but was carrying four people in the back seat”.

There is no suggestion any other cars were involved. The road where the incident occurred is the Avenida das Forcas Armadas, which translates as Armed Forces Avenue in English, and is in Lisbon’s Sete-Rios area.

Firefighters and police, who are conducting an ongoing investigation, remained at the scene early this morning after daybreak. The nationalities of the victims have not yet been released.

The passenger’s belongings inside the car are said to have been destroyed by the flames. The area has been sealed off while authorities work at the scene.