At least 12 dead, 23 missing amid fast-moving wildfire in southern Spain
At least 12 dead, 23 missing amid fast-moving wildfire in southern Spain
At least 12 people have died and 23 others are unaccounted for as firefighters in southern Spain battle a rapidly spreading wildfire, officials said.
The identities of the deceased — who were located in the southeastern village of Bedar — are not known yet but foreign nationals are among them, Spain’s Civil Protection said on Saturday.
The weather is expected to be better on Saturday, allowing firefighters to contain the fire, officials said.
Andalusian regional leader Juanma Moreno said in a Friday post on X that at least eight people had been injured, including four who were in serious condition.
In an interview Friday morning on Spanish radio, Moreno said four of those killed were believed to be British nationals who became trapped in a car while trying to escape the flames.
The majority of the victims were from outside Spain, particularly British and Belgian nationals, Moreno said later Friday, but added that authorities are still working to identify the deceased.
As a preventative measure, 1,448 people were evacuated from 11 locations, the Civil Protection said Saturday.
The wildfire, burning in the municipality of Los Gallardos in Spain’s southeastern Almeria province, had been spreading rapidly, with Moreno warning Friday that weather conditions were unfavorable for firefighters.
More than 6,600 hectares were destroyed since Thursday, officials said.
“The consequences are devastating,” Moreno said on Friday.
Speaking to reporters Friday evening in Turre, a couple of miles from the wildfire in Los Gallardos, Moreno called the blaze a “major tragedy” and warned Spain is facing a challenging summer due to heavy winter rainfall that fueled a surge in spring undergrowth which has now dried out with the heatwaves.
Emergency crews on Friday were continuing search-and-rescue operations as they worked to locate the people still reported missing.
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Moreno told reporters that firefighters were battling to control one of the fastest and most complex wildfires in the Andalusia region in years.
Spanish officials cautioned that the full scale of the disaster is still emerging as rescue efforts continue and officials work to identify victims.
Earlier Friday, a regional government official said in an interview that the fire was likely caused by an electric pole which had fallen.
The regional minister for emergencies in Andalusia, Antonio Sanz Cabello, said on Friday that the previous night had been “a truly tragic night” with “terrible consequences.”
He said fighting the fire was made more complicated by the remote terrain and the lack of access for heavy machinery.
Andalusia’s government has urged people to be careful and follow all evacuation instructions from officials.
-ABC News’ Claire Bower contributed to this report.
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