football team pays tribute after four members of british family die in portugal car crash

A picture of the family shared on Thetford Town’s Facebook page (Picture: Facebook/Thetford Town Youth FC)

A local football team has paid tribute to the four members of a British family who were among six people killed in a head-on crash in Portugal.

Jose Fale,55,Maria Joao,51,and 20-year-old twin sons Domingos and Afonso all died when their rented Nissan Juke collided with another vehicle on the IP2 main road in Castro Verde.

The collision came within hours of them hiring the vehicle at Faro Airport at the beginning of their holiday.

One of the siblings’ 19-year-old girlfriend also died in the crash. The driver of the other car,26-year-old Ruben Goncalves,was killed too.

In a post on Facebook,Thetford Town Youth FC said the loss of the ‘lovely family’ would leave a ‘massive void’ in the local community.

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Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.The team said: ‘Thetford Town Football Club would like to pass on our sincere condolences to the Serrano family and the local Portuguese community after the recent tragedy while on holiday.‘Afonso and Domingo’s were both an integral part of our U18’s team in recent years,both brothers sadly passed away in Portugal with their parents and friends in a tragic car accident.’The post ends with a Portuguese phrase translating to ‘they are gone,but they will never be forgotten’.Pictures from the scene showed the mangled wreckage of one of the two vehicles on the wrong side of a crash in a field where a fire took hold after the collision.A source close to the investigation said the family were identified after their daughter called the police after hearing about the crash to say she could not contact any of them.They said: ‘The car was such a wreck officers could only recover half a number plate and with that began working on trying to establish the identity.‘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.’The victims include two 20-year-old twins,their 55-year-old father and their 51-year-old mum (Picture: Solarpix)Emergency services at the scene (Picture: Solarpix)Shocked locals took to social media today to express their shock and upset at what had happened.Tania Marques Da Cruz said: ‘My most sincere condolences to all those killed. I hope their souls rest in peace.‘It’s so sad to hear of people leaving their homeland and friends in search of a better life and then have their lives end like this. How unfair life is.’Cesar Caleiro wrote on Facebook: ‘My sincere condolences to the loved ones of those killed.‘Mourao must rally round to comfort the families of the victims.’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.The scene of the crash (Picture: Solarpix)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 3.35pm 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 cancelled for the entire weekend.’