5 die, 72 hurt in jumbled cars accident

At least five people died and 72 were injured in two car crashes in the A25 near the Portuguese municipality of Sever do Vouga. The accidents, which involved around 50 vehicles happened at around 1900 local, 250km north of Lisbon, local police said.The collisions were a kilometre apart, one in the direction of the cities of Aveiro-Viseu, which resulted in 4 people dead and involved 46 vehicles, whilst the other was in the opposite direction and resulted in one death, local media reported. The causes of the crashes were still unknown but local authorities said it could have been related to rain and fog in the area.The A-25 is one of the main road arteries in Portugal, crossing from the west all the way to the border with Spain. Three helicopters, 184 fire-fighters and 50 trucks participated in the rescue efforts.