Four members of a UK family who died in a head-on rental car crash in Portugal have been named and pictured.
Two 20-year-old twins, their 55-year-old father, and their 51-year-old mother lost their lives just hours after renting a Nissan Juke at Faro Airport.
They have since been named by authorities as Jose Fale, his wife Maria Joao, and their twin sons Domingos and Afonso.
A sweet image shows the family smiling as they pose for a photo together.
A spokesperson for The Municipal Council of Mourao said the family were residents of England and were traveling from Faro to Mourao for a vacation.
The 19-year-old girlfriend of one of the twins also perished in the tragic collision, which additionally claimed the life of a Portuguese man who was traveling alone in the other vehicle involved in the crash.
Pictures from the crash scene showed the mangled wreckage of one of the two vehicles involved in the accident beside the road.
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 on Saturday on the IP2 main road in Castro Verde where signs shows the speed limit is 80km/h.
Four members of a UK family who died in a head-on collision while in a rental car in Portugal have been identified and shown in photographs. Jose Fale, his wife Maria Joao, and their twin sons, Domingos and Afonso, died in the incident. Shown in the image are Jose Fale and his wife Maria Joao, along with their sons Domingos and Afonso.
The unfortunate event occurred around 1.40 a.m. on Saturday on the IP2 main road in Castro Verde, where the speed limit is marked at 80 km/h. Pictured here are the twins Domingos and Afonso.
The man travelling alone in the other car has been named locally as Ruben Goncalves (pictured), who came from a town in Portugal called Almodovar
Pictures from the crash scene showed the mangled wreckage of one of the two vehicles involved in the accident beside the road
Well-placed police sources said the twins’ parents hailed from Mourao and were returning to the municipality for holidays.
According to sources, the 20-year-old twins were born in the UK, although the Mourao Town Hall describes them as originating from the municipality yet residing in Britain.
The girlfriend of one of the boys is believed to be of Polish origin but also lives in the UK.
An insider familiar with the investigation stated: ‘The vehicle was so severely damaged that officers were only able to recover part of a number plate, which they used to begin identifying the individuals involved.’
‘Today a daughter of the couple killed alongside their twin sons, worried because she had heard about the crash in Portugal and was concerned because she couldn’t contact her loved ones, rang the police to speak about her fears it was her family involved.
‘With the information she gave them officers made checks with the hire car firm at Faro Airport and tragically discovered a match.
‘That was how they were able to confirm the identities of the five occupants in the car with the four members of the same family inside.’
It is not yet known where in Britain the family live, 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.
Local reports said Ruben worked at a zinc-copper mine southeast of Castro Verde called the Neves-Corvo mine. He had a son aged around four.
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.’
