At least 11 people were killed and 19 others remain missing after wildfire swept through Spain’s southern region of Andalusia, Spanish state television reported on Friday.
President of the Regional Government of Andalusia, Juanma Moreno, said the wildfire, which broke out on Thursday in Almeria province, also wounded eight people, including four in critical condition, noting most of the victims are foreign tourists.
Moreno said the blaze has burned about 3,130 hectares. Preliminary indications suggest the fire may have been sparked by a power line, although the exact cause remains under investigation.
He warned the death toll could rise as search and rescue operations continue. Evacuation efforts were complicated by scattered homes, a large foreign population, and hikers who were in rural areas when the fire erupted.
Moreno said around 500 emergency personnel, supported by 16 amphibious helicopters, wildfire crews, the Military Emergency Unit, firefighters, and the Civil Guard, continue efforts to contain what he described as a rapidly spreading wildfire in rugged terrain.
