Hundreds of firefighters in Spain are still battling to contain the flames in the southeast of one of the worst forest fires in the country's history, UNN reports, citing BBC.
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Emergency services were deployed around the village of Bedar, where 12 people died, including four Britons, Spanish authorities report. Another 23 people are still missing.
Local officials in the Los Gallardos area in Almeria warn that the death toll could rise, fearing that there are more Britons among the dead.
A prolonged heatwave with temperatures around 40°C has caused wildfires across Southern Europe this summer, especially in France, Portugal, and Spain.
High temperatures, incredibly dry land, and strong winds led to the rapid spread of the fire in Los Gallardos on Thursday afternoon.
The Minister of Health and Emergency Situations of Andalusia, Antonio Sanz, stated on Saturday that the fire has engulfed 6,600 hectares of land.
The cause of the fire is believed to be a fallen power line, but local electricity companies deny this.
Sanz also said that weather conditions improved overnight, "which allowed us to face the day with better prospects than yesterday." He added: "This is the first day we can begin a direct attack on the fire. Until now, the weather conditions and the nature of the fire only allowed us to work defensively."
According to authorities in Bedar, some of the deceased did not take the recommended evacuation route, but it is unclear how well these instructions were communicated. Sanz said that the rapidly spreading fire was complex, and most or even all of the victims may have been foreign nationals.
With at least 12 people dead, this is already one of the deadliest wildfires in Spain's history.
12 people died in a forest fire in Spain amid heatwave10.07.26, 08:42