Spanish officials said at least 12 people were killed as they tried to flee a massive wildfire that broke out in southern Spain, while 23 others remain missing, as firefighters battle one of the deadliest blazes in the country's history.
Around 500 firefighting personnel, backed by the Spanish Military Emergency Unit, were deployed to combat the fire and search for victims. Approximately 800 people were evacuated, including around 200 to temporary shelters.
Officials warned that the situation could worsen if wind direction changes. Correspondents observed firefighters battling the flames in the countryside as plumes of white smoke billowed upward.
Antonio Sanz, head of the emergency services in the Andalusia region, said the victims included one Spanish national, with the remainder apparently foreign nationals who ignored instructions to stay in place and attempted to flee in their cars as the fire spread rapidly through a forested area surrounding the town of Los Gallardos in the province of Almería.
The area is a popular tourist destination and home to many foreigners, particularly French, British, and Belgian nationals.
Sanz added that four people, apparently British because the steering wheel was on the right-hand side, were found dead inside a single vehicle.
The bodies of eight others were discovered after they apparently abandoned their cars and tried to escape on foot along a route that was not part of the evacuation plan.
Sanz noted that many of the charred bodies have yet to be identified and will require DNA testing.
Juan Manuel Moreno, the president of the regional government of Andalusia, described the fire to journalists as one of the fastest and most complex we have ever seen.
He added that the fire has so far consumed 3,200 hectares and that stronger winds are expected.
He suggested that some of the missing may be hikers who were caught off guard by the blaze.
The Andalusian government announced that emergency teams received more than 150 fire-related calls and that the flames were visible from a main road passing near the village.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed deep grief and profound sorrow on X over the grave consequences of the fire, offering his condolences to the families of the victims.
In a related development, the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged Belgian citizens travelling abroad to register in advance via the Travellers Online platform, amid growing wildfire risks affecting several regions across Europe.
The ministry confirmed in a statement that registration enables authorities to quickly contact travellers and inform them of necessary guidance in emergencies, natural disasters, or when security conditions deteriorate at their destinations.
The Belgian foreign ministry urged travellers to consult the travel advisories for their destinations before departure and to comply with instructions from local authorities in the event of wildfires, including evacuation orders and access restrictions to affected areas, in order to ensure their safety.
Wildfires raging across Europe have killed hundreds of people over the past decade, and climate change is expected to push the death toll even higher in the coming years.
Europe is the fastest-warming continent in the world, with temperatures rising at twice the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service.