Deadly Almería Wildfire Forces 1,400 Evacuations; 12 Bodies Found

A large wildfire burning near Los Gallardos in Spain's Almería province has forced the evacuation of more than 1,400 people and scorched roughly 6,600 hectares. Authorities say the blaze remains complex and has been spreading rapidly, particularly along its western flank, but firefighters have so far prevented the flames from reaching a key coastal highway. More than 500 firefighters and emergency personnel are engaged in containment operations as crews focus on the most intense sectors of the fire.

Officials reported that 12 bodies were discovered near a forested area close to Bedar, north of Los Gallardos; the victims’ identities have not yet been confirmed and samples have been sent to Madrid for DNA comparison with samples provided by families of missing people. Seven people are officially missing and eight others were injured, four of them in serious condition and being treated in Seville hospitals. Strong winds on Friday drove a fast expansion of the blaze and prompted precautionary evacuations of nearby residential areas, officials said, as reported by SANA