At least 12 people were killed while trying to escape a wildfire in southern Spain, while another 23 remained missing, officials said on Friday, as firefighters continued efforts to contain one of the country’s deadliest wildfires on record.
According to Antonio Sanz, head of emergencies for the Andalusia region, one of the victims was Spanish, while the others appeared to be foreign nationals who ignored official instructions to remain sheltered in place, reports Reuters.
Sanz said the victims attempted to flee by car but became trapped as flames, driven by strong winds, swept rapidly through woodland surrounding the town of Los Gallardos in Almeria province.
Among the dead were four people believed to be British, as the vehicle they were travelling in had the steering wheel on the right-hand side.
They died inside the car. Eight other victims were discovered after apparently abandoning their vehicles and trying to escape on foot along a route that was not included in the official evacuation plan.
Authorities said many of the badly burned bodies have yet to be identified and will require DNA testing.
