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Twelve people are killed, eight others injured and 23 reported missing in a wildfire in Los Gallardos, Andalusia, Spain.
Developing
In Short: A wildfire in Los Gallardos, Andalusia, Spain, has resulted in 12 deaths and 23 people reported missing, with authorities urging family members to report to local authorities for updates.
Twelve people, including four British nationals, lost their lives while attempting to escape the flames near the village of Bédar in Los Gallardos, according to the regional government of Andalucía.
Eight others were injured, with four sustaining serious injuries, as the fire, which began on Thursday afternoon, raged through the area.
The Guardia Civil has established a station in the nearby town of La Garrucha for those seeking information on missing family members, emphasizing the need to identify the missing and collect DNA samples for victim identification.
The mayor of Los Gallardos, Francisco Miguel Reyes Martín, expressed devastation over the unprecedented fire, which has left the community in shock.
In response to the tragedy, the PP’s secretary general, Miguel Tellado, called for improved public services in Spain, particularly in fire prevention and response, stating, 'Spain needs better public services across all areas – especially to prevent and tackle tragedies like the one we’ve suffered in Almería today.
Background
Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Europe and the fourth-most populous European Union (EU) member state.
What's confirmed
What's still developing
- The regional government of Andalucía said the victims, four of whom are believed to be British, had died while trying to escape the flames near the village of Bédar in the municipality of Los Gallardos.
- He said eight people had been injured – four of them seriously – and that the authorities were trying to establish whether there were any more victims of the fire, which began on Thursday afternoon.
- The Guardia Civil urged people trying to trace missing family members to go to its station in the nearby town of La Garrucha.
- “The main objective is to identify the missing people and to be able to take the DNA samples in order to identify the victims as quickly as possible,” a spokesperson said.
- The mayor of Los Gallardos, Francisco Miguel Reyes Martín, said people in the area had been devastated by the unprecedented fire.
- A digest of the morning's main headlines from the Europe edition emailed direct to you every week day “Spain needs better public services across all areas – especially to prevent and tackle tragedies like the one…