LOS GALLARDOS: At least 11 people have been killed and 19 others remain missing after a fast-moving wildfire swept through southern Spain, as firefighters continued efforts to contain one of the country’s deadliest wildfires.
Authorities said many of those who died were believed to be foreign nationals who left designated shelter areas despite official instructions to remain indoors. Instead of following emergency guidance, they attempted to escape by car as the rapidly spreading fire engulfed the area.
The wildfire tore through forested land surrounding the town of Los Gallardos in Almeria province, a region popular with tourists.
Andalusia’s regional emergency chief Antonio Sanz said four people, believed to be British nationals, were found dead inside a right-hand-drive vehicle. Another seven victims were discovered after apparently abandoning their vehicles and attempting to flee on foot along a route that was not part of the official evacuation plan.
Sanz said preliminary information suggested that most, if not all, of those killed were foreign nationals. Search, rescue and firefighting operations remained under way.
The incident has drawn comparisons with Portugal’s deadly 2017 wildfire, in which more than 60 people were killed, many of them trapped in their vehicles while trying to escape.
Spain’s wildfire season has begun earlier than usual this year following a series of intense summer heatwaves.
According to the European Forest Fire Information System, around 57,000 hectares have burned across Spain so far this year, accounting for about 40 per cent of the total area affected by wildfires across the European Union.
Last year, Spain experienced its worst wildfire season in three decades after a record-breaking August heatwave scorched around 330,000 hectares of land.
“We usually don’t see these fires until August. They’re starting earlier now because the vegetation dries out sooner,” forest firefighter Roman Garcia told state broadcaster TVE.
As authorities worked to identify the victims and locate those still missing, relatives from several countries appealed for information through social media and local online forums.
One woman said her daughter, who was travelling in a red Ford Fiesta with her dog, had disappeared, while another person from the United States said her brother was among a group of 10 people who attempted to escape through a nearby valley and appealed to emergency responders to search the area.
Officials believe the wildfire started after a power cable fell onto dry vegetation on Thursday.
Antas Mayor Pedro Ridao said strong afternoon winds caused the blaze to spread rapidly through farmland, holiday homes and vehicles.
“The wind caused the fire to race ahead, destroying farmhouses, holiday homes and cars,” he said, adding that the area’s rugged terrain and deep ravines had complicated firefighting efforts.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed condolences to the victims’ families, saying he felt “enormous sadness and devastation” over the tragedy.
The disaster is Spain’s deadliest wildfire since 2005, when 11 firefighters lost their lives battling a blaze in Guadalajara that prompted major reforms to the country’s wildfire prevention and emergency response systems.
