Foreigners among 12 dead in Spanish wildfires

At least 12 people have been killed in a fast-moving wildfire that tore through a tourist area in Andalusia, southern Spain, trapping motorists in burning vehicles or as they tried to flee on foot. The authorities said many of the victims of the fire that broke out on Thursday and destroyed forests and swathes of scrubland in the Los Gallardos area were believed to be foreign nationals and 19 people were still missing.

According to AFP, Spain has been sweltering in extreme heat, creating tinderbox conditions favourable for the rapid spread of wildfires.

The head of the Andalusia regional government, Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, said four of the victims were travelling in a right-hand drive car.

"They appear to have been British nationals and were burned to death inside the car," he told Spanish radio.

Spain's head of state King Felipe VI, his wife Queen Letizia and their two daughters observed a minute of silence for the victims of the wildfire, one of the country's worst in recent years.

Around 500 firefighters, backed by Spain's Military Emergency Unit, battled to contain the flames and search for victims. Around 800 people were evacuated, including nearly 200 to temporary shelters.

Officials have warned that conditions could worsen if winds shifted.

Scientists agree that climate change caused by humans burning fossil fuels is making extreme weather events such as heatwaves more likely and more intense.

AFP reporters saw firefighters battling to douse the flames sweeping across the parched countryside, sending plumes of white smoke into the air.

There was no immediate confirmation of the identities of those who died but the authorities said many of the victims may be foreigners who were in Bedar, a small whitewashed village in Los Gallardos district.

Located about 15 kilometres (nine miles) from Spain's Mediterranean coast, Bedar is popular with foreign residents and tourists seeking a quieter alternative to the nearby beach resorts.

Bedar mayor Angel Francisco Collado said he urged some residents to flee their homes, "even those who did not want to leave".

On top of the four killed in a car, seven people died while trying to escape on foot and two people were taken to hospital with burns injuries, he added. Other officials said eight people had been injured, four seriously.

Witnesses said the fire may have been started by a power line that fell and set scrubland alight but there was no official confirmation.

"At the moment, we have confirmed that 12 people have lost their lives in the Los Gallardos fire; there are no words for such grief," Antonio Sanz, Andalusia's minister for emergencies, said in a video posted on X.

"Everything indicates that the deceased are, mostly or entirely, foreign nationals."

He described the fire as a "very complex, very fast-moving" outbreak in a region with many ravines where it is difficult to use heavy machines and homes in forested areas.

The Andalusia regional government said emergency services were submerged by more than 150 calls from people reporting the fire and that flames could be seen on a main highway passing near the village.

Sanz said about 3,150 hectares (7,780 acres) of forest and farmland had been scorched.

Deeply saddened

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote on X that he was "deeply saddened and devastated by the terrible consequences of the wildfire".

He said in May that Spain would deploy its largest-ever summer wildfire response this year.

Spain is sweltering in a heatwave, with scorching temperatures triggering orange weather warnings–the second highest level across parts of Andalusia in recent days.

Spain has experienced increasingly frequent and prolonged heatwaves in recent years, with temperatures often exceeding 40C, fuelling conditions for major wildfires.

Deadly wildfires devoured almost 400,000 hectares (one million acres) of land in Spain last year, the highest figure recorded for the country by the European Forest Fire Information System.