A wildfire has broken out in the Andalusia region of Spain killing 11 people.
Around 150 firefighters are tackling the blaze which has so far left another 19 people unaccounted for.
Firefighters battle fast-moving blaze
The fire spread very quickly in a wooded area near the town of Los Gallardos and caused road closures and the evacuation of 1,000 residents.
The regional leader of Andalusia, Juanma Moreno, said the fire appeared to have started as a result of a downed power line.
Spain has been experiencing a heatwave with temperatures of around 40C.
Prime Minister issues statement
The country’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, posted a statement on X, saying he has “immense sadness and desolation in the face of the terrible consequences of the fire affecting the province of Almería.
“I want to convey my condolences to the families of those who died in the Los Gallardos forest fire.
“My wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured and my solidarity with all the affected neighbours.”
Multi-agency response
He added the emergency services, security forces and the military had been mobilised to combat the blaze
Last month, Spain reached its highest daily average temperature since 1950. In some parts of the country, temperatures reached as high as 42C.
Earlier this week, the European Commission mobilised emergency assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM).
It follows the outbreak of major wildfires in several Member States, with France and Portugal requesting support following multiple large-scale incidents.
