At least 11 people have died as a result of a large forest fire in the Los Gallardos district of Almería province, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. This was reported by officials in the country.
According to reports, four of the victims died in a car that was engulfed in flames. Another seven people lost their lives while attempting to flee through a dry riverbed after deviating from the official evacuation route. Preliminary information suggests that most of the deceased may be foreign nationals.
Antonio Sanz, a representative of the Andalusian government, called this tragedy the deadliest forest fire in the region's history. According to him, strong winds and high temperatures caused the fire to spread very quickly, significantly complicating rescue efforts. While residents in some areas were urgently evacuated, in other high-risk locations, citizens were advised not to leave their homes for safety reasons.
A second level of emergency was declared in connection with the incident. Spain's Military Emergency Unit, over 150 specialists, dozens of firefighting teams, and special equipment have been deployed to combat the fire.
As a result of the natural disaster, nearly a thousand residents were evacuated to safe areas and temporarily housed in sports complexes. One woman was hospitalized with severe burn injuries, and another person suffered from smoke inhalation.
Several other citizens received medical assistance at the scene.
Preliminary estimates suggest the fire may have been caused by a malfunction in the power transmission network. Strong winds and dry weather led to the flames spreading over a large area in a short time.
Due to the fire, highways N-340A and AL-6109 were temporarily closed. Traffic on the A-7 motorway was later restored.
Meanwhile, another forest fire was reported in the Benahavís area of Málaga province in Andalusia. As a precaution, nearly a thousand residents were evacuated. Firefighting efforts are currently ongoing.
