An explosion at a fireworks factory in northern Portugal killed at least four people from the same family Tuesday and at least three other workers were missing, emergency services said. 


Officials from the Civil Protection Service and local police told Portuguese media at the scene there was a huge explosion in the early evening at the family-owned factory in Avoes, a village near the town of Lamego, about 200 miles north of the Portuguese capital Lisbon. 


All of the workers at the factory came from three local families, according to Manuel Coutinho, Lamego Council's emergency services coordinator. He told Radio Renascenca that officials had little hope of finding survivors. 


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Broadcaster TVI showed the burning remnants of the small factory, which lies on a hillside amid woods far from local homes. 


Officials told TVI they were not sure how many workers were in the factory at the time of the blast. The factory was believed to employ 15 people

Source: NNA