Twelve dead and 23 missing in one of Spain’s deadliest wildfires
A devastating wildfire in Spain's Almeria province has resulted in 12 deaths and 23 missing persons, with many victims trapped while attempting to flee. Authorities are investigating a potential fallen power line as the cause of the blaze.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the increasing danger of wildfires in Europe during extreme heatwaves and the critical importance of emergency evacuation protocols.
Twelve people died overnight into Friday in one of Spain's deadliest wildfires on record, authorities said, as soaring temperatures grip much of the country.
Several victims of the fire in the southern province of Almeria, a popular holiday destination, were found inside burnt-out vehicles and were thought to have died while trying to flee the flames.
Eight people have been injured and a further 23 are unaccounted for, Andalusia's regional leader Juan Manuel Moreno said.
Some 150 firefighters and 220 soldiers from Spain's military emergency unit were battling the blaze, which has consumed more than 3,200 hectares (7,900 acres) of forest and farmland.
A wildfire rages in Alfajir, near Almeria in south-eastern Spain, a popular holiday destination (Gregorio Marrero/AP)
Regional emergency authorities said four British nationals and other unspecified foreign nationals appeared to be among the dead.
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