Firefighting airplane crashes in Portugal — media

Some firefighters protect themselves as a firefighting plane drops its load on a wildfire in Vale da Ponte, Pedrograo Grande. (AFP)

LISBON: An airplane involved in firefighting efforts to extinguish huge forest fires in central Portugal crashed on Tuesday, local media reported.
Television stations SIC and TVI said the Canadair aircraft had crashed near Pedrogao Grande, center of the biggest fire that has killed 64 people since Saturday.
News agency Lusa cited a source from the civil protection agency saying a helicopter was on its way to where the plane had gone down.