Extreme weather in Europe

Eleven dead in forest fire in Spain – over 20 missing

Eleven people have died in a forest fire near the city of Almería in southern Spain, local authorities say. But the death toll is feared to rise – another 23 people are missing, writes El País.

The dead are feared to be tourists who were caught in the flames after trying to leave the area via a route other than the evacuation route, writes TT. Four people were found in a burnt-out car and are believed to be British because the steering wheel was on the right side.

Over 400 firefighters are working to put out the fires, which according to witnesses may have started when a power line fell and set the dry ground on fire.

Mayor: “It looks like a bomb hit”

The fire in the Spanish town of Los Gallardos is still not under control at noon on Friday. Videos from the scene show open flames burning along roads and mountains. Black smoke covers the sky.

– It looks like a bomb hit, says Mayor Francisco Miguel Reyes to the newspaper El País.

The fire is the deadliest ever in Andalusia, reports El Mundo. Eleven people have been confirmed dead so far. The material damage in the area is extensive.

– We knew it would be a difficult summer, but we never expected a fire of this magnitude, regional politician Juanmo Moreno tells El Mundo.

The fire-ravaged area is popular with tourists but there is no knowledge of Swedes being in the area, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tells TT. 

Forest road became a death trap when fire victims tried to escape

Several of the victims of the forest fire in the Spanish town of Las Gallardos tried to escape via a forest road that ended in a dead end, reports El Mundo. Six cars, several of which were completely burned out, and a motorcycle were found on the road.

“It is difficult to describe how devastated the landscape is. Everything around is gray and burned,” writes the newspaper’s reporter who visited the road in the municipality of Bédar.

At least twelve people have been confirmed dead and eight injured, four of them seriously. 23 people are missing. Several of the dead are believed to be tourists, including Britons.

A faulty power line in a road ditch caused the fire, according to the authorities’ investigation. Winds of up to 14 meters per second caused the fire to spread quickly. A total of 4,000 hectares have burned and over 1,100 people have been evacuated.