Portugal has declared three days of mourning for the 61 victims of one of the country’s deadliest forest fires.

Four children are among the victims, many of whom were found dead inside their cars as they tried to flee the central forested region of Pedrógão Grande.

Hundreds of firefighters are continuing to tackle the blaze on several fronts.

Prime Minister Antonio Costa called it “the greatest tragedy we have seen in recent years in terms of forest fires”.

He said it was thought to have been sparked by a lightning strike.