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At least 12 people have died attempting to flee a wildfire in southern Spain, and 23 were missing, officials said on Friday, as firefighters battled to bring one of the country’s deadliest blazes on record under control.
One Spaniard was among the victims and the rest appeared to be foreign nationals who ignored instructions to shelter in place, trying instead to flee by car as flames spread rapidly through a wooded area around the town of Los Gallardos in Almeria province, said Antonio Sanz, head of emergencies in the Andalusia region.
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The area is a popular holiday destination and home to many foreigners, especially the French, Britons and Belgians.
Four people, who appeared to be British because the steering wheel of their car was on the right-hand side, died in one vehicle, he said. Seven others were found dead after apparently abandoning their cars and attempting to escape on foot along a route that was not part of the evacuation plan.
“The consequences have been terrible. Everything seems to indicate that, in the case of the dead, the majority – or all of them – are foreign nationals,” Sanz said.
Juan Manuel Moreno, head of Andalusia’s regional government, said 23 people were missing, some probably hikers. Rescue workers found several walking sticks at the scene.
