The chief of the volunteer firefighters of Pombal, Paulo Albano, said on Monday that when the first officers arrived at the scene, some victims had no vital signs.

Lieutenant Daniel de Matos also added that the victims are six men, four were going in the Pombal-Figueira direction and the others were going in the opposite direction.

The causes of the accident are going to be investigated by the National Republican Guard (GNR), which only said what it found on the site: the vehicle that was in the Pombal-Figueira direction entered the opposite lane and collided head-on with the other vehicle, dragging it about 12m.

The Portuguese National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) said that the medical support from the Centre and Porto went to the scene to provide phychological support to the families.