Eight dead following fire at leisure centre in Portugal

A fire that was triggered as a result of a blast at a community centre in northern Portugal has left eight people without their lives while dozens more were injured as a result.
A heating boiler in the Vila Nova da Rainha exploded, according to the mayor, which subsequently started the fire.
There were more than 60 people in attendance at the centre, with the number of people either there for an amateur card tournament or to watch football on TV.
Reportedly, the fire ignited material in the roof and then spread quickly, causing panic in the process.
The Vila Nova da Rainha leisure centre is located fairly close to the town of Tondela, which is around 260km (160 miles) north-east of Lisbon.
Jose Antonio Jesus, the mayor of Tondela, told the Public newspaper that the fire rapidly generated a substantial quantity of carbon monoxide, while also saying that the recreational and cultural centre was “very active and at the heart of the community”.
According to local media, at least 35 people were hurt from the blaze, six of whom seriously, with the majority suffering burns or smoke inhalation. The website of the newspaper Diario de Noticias reported that some of the injured were taken to hospitals in Porto and Lisbon.
The newspaper also claimed that glass wool in the roof could have been a key contributing factor towards the spread of the fire in the building, which is two-storeys.
While people tried to escape, it’s possible that the dense smoke may have disorientated people.
The flames were extinguished in around an hour after dozens of firefighters were deployed to the scene, but the local officials in the Tondela area – which was badly affected by the forest fires that took place in October 2017 – described the leisure centre fire as a “new catastrophe”.