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Four members of a British family died in a head-on crash in Portugal just hours after hiring a car at Faro Airport.
The victims include two 20-year-old twins, their 55-year-old father and their 51-year-old mother.
The 19-year-old girlfriend of one of the siblings also died in the horror accident, which claimed the life of a Portuguese man travelling alone in the other car they collided with.
The family were travelling north from the Algarve towards Mourao in the district of Evora near the Spanish border.
The tragedy happened around 1.40am this morning on the IP2 main road in Castro Verde around halfway to their final destination.
Well-placed police sources said all four members of the same family killed were British passport holders, although the twins’ parents hailed from Mourao and were returning to the municipality for holidays.
The same sources said the 20-year-old twins were both born in the UK, despite Mourao Town Hall describing all four as coming from the municipality but living in Britain.
The girlfriend of one of the boys is believed to be of Polish origin but also lives in the UK.
Four members of a British family died in a head-on crash in Portugal just hours after hiring a car at Faro Airport. Pictured: The crash scene
It is not yet know where in Britain the family live and how many years ago the twins’ parents emigrated and have been living in the UK.
The man travelling alone in the other car has been named locally as Ruben Goncalves, who came from a town in Portugal called Almodovar.
He was travelling south on the IP2.
The circumstances surrounding the fatal accident were today being investigated by the GNR police force.
Town hall officials in Mourao have declared two days of mourning starting from tomorrow.
A spokesman said: ‘The Municipal Council of Mourao has decreed two days of municipal mourning, effective from tomorrow, Sunday, following the death of five family members involved in a traffic accident last night on the IP2, near Castro Verde.
‘The Municipality, in coordination with the family and law enforcement authorities, namely the local GNR Post in Castro Verde, obtained the number plate of the vehicle they were travelling in and confirmed the identity of the passengers at 3:35 p.m today.
‘There were four occupants in the car, all from Mourao, and a young woman with ties to the family.
‘Residents of England, they were traveling from Faro to Mourao for their usual and well-deserved vacation.
‘It is with great sadness that the Municipality announces this information, offering its condolences to the families and friends of the victims.
‘We inform you that all activities and events promoted by the Municipality are canceled for the entire weekend.’
This is a breaking news story, more to follow.
