Fires devour southern Spain… 12 dead and dozens missing in the worst disaster

At least 12 people died while trying to flee a massive forest fire that broke out in southern Spain, while 23 others are still missing.

This is according to what Spanish officials announced on Friday. As fire brigades struggle to control one of the deadliest fires in the country’s history.

Antonio Sanz, head of the emergency services in the Andalusia region, said that among the victims was one Spanish citizen, while most of the dead were believed to be of foreign nationalities. He explained that some people tried to leave the area in their cars despite warnings to remain in their places, after the fire spread quickly in a forest area near the town of Los Gayardos in the Almeria province, which is a tourist area in which a large number of foreigners reside, especially Britons, French and Belgians.

Santh added that four people believed to be British died inside one car, due to the steering wheel being on the right side of the vehicle. The bodies of eight others were also found after they abandoned their cars and tried to escape on foot via a road that was not part of the evacuation routes. He stressed that identifying some of the completely charred bodies would require DNA tests.

The governor of Andalusia, Juan Manuel Moreno, described the fire as one of the fastest and most complex fires that the region had witnessed, noting that the fire had destroyed about 3,200 hectares, amid expectations of an increase in wind speed.

Moreno suggested that some of the missing people were likely to be hikers who were surprised by the outbreak of fire, after rescue teams found walking sticks at the accident site.

This disaster comes at a time when Spain is witnessing an early start to the forest fire season, due to severe heat waves that have caused the drought of large areas of the country. European data showed that about 57 thousand hectares have been burned since the beginning of the year, which is a large percentage compared to previous rates.

Firefighters said that fires are spreading earlier than usual due to the rapid drying of vegetation, warning of a difficult season. Moreno pointed out that preliminary investigations suggested that the cause of the fire was an electricity cable that fell near the road, while the electricity company Endesa denied that the cable was carrying an electrical current.

Officials warned that Spain is facing a long and difficult summer with the continued risk of new fires, especially with large quantities of dry plants that turn into quickly flammable fuel.