The fire, which Prime Minister Antonio Costa called, "a dimension of human tragedy that we can not remember", started Saturday and was still burning as of Sunday afternoon, requiring the attention of around 1,600 firefighters over the weekend.
Sources from Portugal's Judicial Police told EFE that the likely cause of the fire was a bolt of lightning that struck a dry tree in the heavily-forested area.
"This is a region that has had fires because of its forests, but we can not remember a tragedy of these proportions", said Valdemar Alves, mayor of Pedrogao Grande.
Such storms are frequent when falling water evaporates before reaching the ground because of high temperatures.
PM Modi tweeted, "Sad to learn of tragic loss of lives in the forest fire in Portugal".
At least four other significant wildfires affected different areas of the country on Sunday but the one in Pedrogao Grande was responsible for all the deaths. He said that "it was not possible to do more than what has been done" in prevention and responding to the fire.
"Something extraordinary has taken place and we have to wait for technicians to properly determine its causes".
More than 1,000 firefighters are tackling the wildfires around the town of Pedrogao Grande, where 62 people died Saturday night.
"The latest victim was found in the countryside", said Gomes, who was tasked with delivering the latest information available to authorities on the site, located some 190 km to the northeast of Lisbon.
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More than 1,600 firefighters are fighting five of the main fires, supported by about 400 vehicles and 18 aircraft, Portugal's Público reports. It is by far the deadliest wildfire on record.
"I managed to contact a relative who got her out. (It was) just flames over the auto and the family and me screaming". "My grandparents had to run out of their house barefoot". A young man shared a bottle of water with a distraught woman as she stumbled down the road.
Avelar resident Isabel Brandao has told The Associated Press that "the problem is that there was no rain. I never thought it would come to this side", she said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke to the Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa and also offered assistance, a spokesman said.
Interior Ministry official Jorge Gomes said that 60 people died from the flames and suffocating smoke, while another two people perished in a traffic accident related to the fires.
"The aircraft were sent from France and Spain, but they have been struggling getting close because of poor visibility".
Gomes gave a grim description of the deaths to RTP.
Firefighters kept battling on Sunday (June 18) the flames in Pedrogao Grande, central Portugal, in an effort to prevent the fire from spreading.
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