Six young people died after their car burst into flames in a horror crash while abroad. The victims, all aged between 18 and 20, were crammed into a small five-seat car, with four being squeezed into the back seats.

Their car went up in flames after a crash in Avenida das Forças Armadas Lisbon, at 3.40 am on Sunday. The Portuguese Public Security Police (PSP) revealed the car “went off the road, hit a pillar and caught fire,” with the accident site located close to the US Embassy. Local reports claim the BMW driver had veered off the road after becoming “distracted” shortly before it smashed into a barrier.

Within seconds, the car is reported to have burst into flames, with photos from the site showing the charred remnants still at the scene, with its roof being removed by emergency services.

An officer on duty at the US Embassy reportedly witnessed the crash and called the police, according to RTP.

Local media has also reported that the driver was 19 and at least one person in the car was not wearing a seatbelt.

The six victims have now been revealed to have been from Angola. In a letter, the Angolan ambassador to Portugal, Maria de Jesus Ferreira, shared a tribute to the young group, saying they had “a bright future ahead of them.”

She wrote: “It was with dismay that we learned of the death this Sunday in Lisbon of six young Angolans, victims of a tragic road accident.

“May the bereaved families find the strength to overcome this moment of immense grief, and may they receive all our solidarity.

“At this time of sorrow, on my own behalf and on behalf of all the staff of the Embassy of the Republic of Angola in the Portuguese Republic, we extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families for these irreparable losses.”