A wildfire in southeastern Spain has killed 12 people, with 23 others missing. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.
The fire started on Thursday in the Los Gallardos area of Almería province and spread to the village of Bedar. Hundreds of firefighters and specialists are working to contain the blaze. Spanish authorities confirmed that four of the deceased are British nationals. Another 23 people remain unaccounted for.
Local officials warned the death toll could rise. The cause of the fire has been attributed to a fallen power line, though local electricity companies deny this. No further details have been released about four people found dead in a burnt-out car. Andalusia's health and emergencies minister, Antonio Sanz, said they are believed to be "of British origin."
Witness Lucinda Curtois described the escape: "It was almost like there was a mushroom cloud of smoke, it was like a bomb had gone off." She feared at least two other UK nationals had been killed.
Officials in Bedar said some victims did not take the recommended evacuation route. Neither Spanish authorities nor the UK Foreign Office have disclosed the identities of the deceased.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot noted that many Belgians have second homes in Spain, and consular services are trying to contact those unreachable.
National weather agency AEMET forecast more favorable conditions on Saturday. With at least 12 deaths, this is among the deadliest wildfires in Spanish history. For comparison, a 1984 fire on La Gomera killed 20, and a 1979 fire near Lloret de Mar killed 21.
Climate change is driving up temperatures, and Europe is the fastest-warming continent, according to the Copernicus climate service. This leads to more intense summer heatwaves, water stress, and wildfires.