A fierce forest fire that broke out on Thursday afternoon in southern Spain has claimed the lives of at least 11 people, including several foreign tourists, in the province of Almería in Andalusia. Emergency services faced extreme conditions, with high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds, which helped the flames to spread rapidly.
An emergency operation under extreme conditions
The service provided byAndalusia’s 112 emergency service received the first reports of the fire at around 5 pm near the village of Los Gallardos. Firefighters and emergency services were immediately mobilised to try to bring the flames under control, which quickly spread towards the neighbouring town of Bédar, ravaging several hundred hectares.
The evacuation operations were hampered by the intensity of the fire, which was fanned by gusts of wind. According to the information According to local authorities, several victims were found in burnt-out vehicles, whilst others, having abandoned their cars, perished whilst trying to flee on foot via a Rambla (a dry riverbed), a route that turned out to be a death trap.
Most of the victims were foreign nationals
The president of the Andalusian regional government, Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, has confirmed that the majority of the victims are believed to be foreign nationals, probably British or Belgian. Two survivors, one of whom is Spanish, were rescued from a group of nine people who were trying to escape on foot.
Teams specialising in major disasters are continuing their investigations to identify the victims and determine the exact circumstances of their deaths. Antonio Sanz, an adviser to the President of the Junta de Andalucía, said that two scenarios were being investigated: one involving four people who died in a vehicle, and the other involving seven people who tried to flee on foot.
A suspected cause linked to a power line
Initial findings suggest that the fire may have been caused by a fallen electricity pylon. The local authorities are continuing their investigation to confirm this theory.
This fire, one of the deadliest in Spain in recent years, serves as a reminder of the importance of following the evacuation instructions and safe routes set out by the emergency services. To keep up to date with the latest developments on the Ongoing fires in France, please see our map of forest fires and stay up to date with the weather warnings.