Tragedy Strikes in Portugal: UK-Based Family of Four Killed in Devastating Holiday Collision

Published: 19th July ’2025 | The English Chronicle Desk

A devastating road accident in southern Portugal has claimed the lives of four members of a UK-based family, along with two other individuals, leaving both their local community in England and their hometown in Portugal in deep mourning.

The victims have been named as Domingos Serrano, 55, his wife Maria Serrano, 51, and their 20-year-old twin sons, Domingos and Afonso. The family, originally from Mourão in Portugal but residing in Thetford, Norwich, had been on their way from Faro to their hometown to spend what local officials described as their “usual and well-deserved vacation.”

According to the Municipal Council of Mourão, the family’s vehicle collided with another car on a road near Castro Verde in the Faro district. The impact proved fatal for all four family members, as well as for the 19-year-old girlfriend of one of the sons, who was travelling with them. The driver of the other vehicle, a 26-year-old man, also died at the scene.

Authorities in Mourão have declared two days of official mourning in honour of the victims. Flags have been flown at half-mast, and messages of condolence have poured in from both Portugal and the UK. “It is with profound regret that the Municipality conveys this tragic news,” the council’s statement read. “We extend our deepest condolences to the relatives and friends of the victims at this time of immeasurable pain.”

The Serrano family were well known in their hometown for regularly returning to Portugal during the summer to reconnect with relatives and friends. In Thetford, they were remembered as a close-knit family who worked hard and maintained strong ties to their Portuguese heritage.

The exact cause of the collision is still under investigation by Portuguese traffic authorities, but initial reports suggest the crash occurred on a rural stretch of road where visibility may have been limited. Emergency services were dispatched immediately, but despite their efforts, all six lives were lost before they could be transported to hospital.

The tragedy has sent shockwaves through both communities that the Serrano family called home. Vigils are expected to be held in Mourão, while friends and neighbours in Thetford have begun organising a memorial to honour their lives.

For now, both towns are united in grief, sharing the loss of a family whose annual return to Portugal was always a time of joy and reunion — now replaced by sorrow and remembrance.