11 die in Spanish wildfire amid soaring temperatures

A wildfire has killed at least 11 people in southern Spain as soaring temperatures gripped much of the country, authorities said.

Several victims of the fire in Almeria were found inside burnt-out vehicles, local media reported.

Eight others have been injured in the blaze, which 150 firefighters and 220 soldiers from Spain’s military emergency unit battled on Friday.

Regional Spanish emergency authorities said four British nationals appeared to be among the victims.

Authorities reported earlier that 12 people had died, but revised the death toll Friday morning. Andalusia’s regional leader Juan Manuel Moreno told the Cadena Ser radio station on Friday that 19 people were unaccounted for.

The fire broke out in a hamlet in a semi-arid area near the Sierra de Los Filabres mountains.

Authorities have not confirmed the cause of the fire, but said people who called to report it said that a fallen power line had sparked a blaze that spread rapidly into a nearby forest.

The fire also led to road closures, while 1,000 residents were evacuated, according to emergency services.

Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his condolences, writing on X of his “Immense sadness and desolation in the face of the terrible consequences of the fire affecting the province of Almeria.”

Regional authorities said the fire was the deadliest the region had seen to date.

The regional leader of the southern Spanish Andalusia region Juan Manuel Moreno wrote on X that “Our hearts are heavy and we are devastated by grief”.

Spain has battled frequent and severe heat waves in recent years, with temperatures often exceeding 40C. Wind, high temperatures and little rainfall help small wildfires grow into unchecked blazes.

In June, Spain experienced several days of record-setting heat, with more than 1,000 excess deaths attributed to heat.