Six people were killed in a fiery car crash near a US Embassy in Portugal on Sunday morning, according to reports.
The deadly crash involving a BMW 520 occurred around 3:31 a.m. near the US Embassy in Lisbon, Police Commissioner Dinarte Diniz said at the scene, according to Portugal Pulse.
The car hit a curb on the Avenida das Forças Armadas, next to the embassy, and lost control — culminating in the fatal crash that triggered a blaze, Diniz said.
The victims of the accident include “three women and three men,” authorities added. They are reported to be between the ages of 18 and 20, SIC News reported.
The incident was witnessed by a police officer assigned to the US Embassy, who contacted emergency services.
By the time authorities arrived on the scene, the flames had already ravaged the vehicle and “nothing could be done,” the police commissioner added, per Portugal Pulse.
“The vehicle was completely burned, and it is unclear if seatbelts were used, but given the number of occupants, at least one may not have been wearing one,” he said, noting the car was a five-seater vehicle.
Photos of the aftermath of the harrowing crash show the burnt-out and charred remains of the BMW.
The bodies were transported to the Institute of Legal Medicine for proper identification. There was some indication that the victims had known each other, the outlet said.
Their identities and nationalities have not yet been released.
The Avenida das Forças Armadas, which translates to Armed Forces Avenue, was closed for cleanup as authorities investigated the scene. It was reopened by 11 a.m., according to local reports.
