Wildfires in southern Spain kill at least 12

A fast-moving wildfire in Spain’s southern Andalusia region has killed at least 12 people.

Regional officials reported on Friday that the blaze was the deadliest recorded in the region, noting that several more people remained unaccounted for. Authorities have not pinpointed the cause of the fire, which occurred as the country endures soaring temperatures.

The blaze broke out on Thursday afternoon near the N-340 highway in the municipality of Los Gallardos in Almeria province. Strong winds quickly fanned the flames into the neighbouring municipality of Bedar.

Emergency services discovered several of the victims trapped inside vehicles as they attempted to flee a rural hamlet, local authorities reported.

Authorities said they were continuing search operations. Andalusia’s regional leader Juanma Moreno ⁠told Cadena ⁠Ser radio on Friday that nineteen ⁠people remained unaccounted for, the Reuters news agency reported.

According to regional outlet La Voz de Almeria, this is the deadliest fire in the region’s recent history, surpassing any record of deaths in a fire in both the 20th and 21st centuries.

Andalusia’s acting minister for health, the presidency and emergencies, Antonio Sanz, said it was “the most devastating fire to date in our region” and described the situation as “an unprecedented tragedy”.

“The pain is immense. Andalusia is in mourning, and our hearts go out to Almería and all those affected,” Sanz stated.

Six other people were injured in the blaze, regional authorities said, including a woman who suffered severe burns and another individual who was hospitalised for smoke inhalation.

Four others received treatment at the scene for minor burns and respiratory issues. About 50 evacuated residents were being sheltered at a local cultural centre, officials added.

More than 300 emergency personnel, including a deployment of 150 specialists from Spain’s Military Emergency Unit (UME), are battling the flames. Heavy smoke forced regional traffic authorities to close two major highways in the area.

Investigations into the exact cause of the Almeria blaze are ongoing, though local media reports indicated a downed power line may have initially ignited the dry brush.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said earlier this year that Spain planned to deploy its largest-ever summer wildfire response.

In a post on social media, he expressed “enormous sadness and devastation”, added that emergency services and security ⁠forces had been mobilised alongside UME to combat the blaze, and urged residents to exercise caution.

He offered his condolences to the families of those killed and wished a speedy recovery to the ⁠injured.

Early summer heatwaves across Western Europe in May and June have parched vast areas of land, making them particularly vulnerable to wildfires this year.

Europe is ‌warming ‌at more than twice the global average, the World Meteorological Organization said, making prolonged heat episodes increasingly likely.