Forest fire in southeastern Spain claims 12 lives, leaves 20 missing

A devastating forest fire in Spain's southeastern Almería province has resulted in at least 12 fatalities and left approximately 20 people unaccounted for. The blaze, which authorities believe originated from a fallen power line, has consumed an estimated 4,000 hectares.

Firefighting operations continued through the night, with 500 ground personnel deployed to combat the flames and protect the population. Officials from the regional government of Andalusia are conducting an aerial assessment of the fire's status on Friday morning.

By late Friday, the number of people evacuated from the affected area of Los Gallardos had risen to 1,405, according to the regional counselor for Health, Presidency, and Emergencies, Antonio Sanz. The regional government described the fire's evolution overnight as "relatively good within the seriousness and dimensions."

Autopsies have been completed for the 12 deceased individuals at the Legal Medicine Institute of Almería. While identification is pending, most victims are believed to be foreign nationals. Reports indicate some victims were trapped in "road traps" while attempting to flee the advancing fire. Spain has already experienced 15 large fires, exceeding 500 hectares each, between January 1 and July 5 this year, nearly double the average for the past decade.

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The forest fire in the southeastern Spanish province of Almería... has evolved during the night 'relatively well within the seriousness and dimensions.'