'Really frightening, unbelievably quick': Witnesses describe fleeing deadly Spain wildfire - BBC
A deadly wildfire in southern Spain has resulted in at least 12 deaths and 23 missing persons. Witnesses described the fire as spreading with terrifying speed after an electricity pole sparked the blaze in woodland near Almería.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the increasing danger of wildfires in Europe and the vulnerability of residential areas to rapidly spreading natural disasters.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Amy Walker , Mary Litchfield and James Kelly , Your Voice Reuters At least 12 people have died and 23 others are missing in a wildfire in southern Spain that emergency workers were battling to contain on Friday.
Officials said it appeared flames spread in the Los Gallardos area of Almería on Thursday afternoon after an electricity pole fell in woodland and sparked a blaze.
Speaking to local media, several eyewitnesses described the devastation as "like a bomb has fallen" on the municipality, while others recounted the fire's "unbelievably quick" spread.
Lucinda Curtois arrived in Spain with her partner Riyaz Cheytan and their teenage children for a holiday on Thursday.
They were in the pool in Bédar, close to where the fire took hold, at about 19:00 local time when neighbours warned them of an evacuation notice.
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