A wildfire in Spain’s southeastern Almería province has turned deadly, killing 12 people and forcing the evacuation of over 1,400. The fire, which started near the town of Los Gallardos, has burned over 6,600 hectares of land.

Firefighting Efforts

Firefighters have been working to contain the blaze, with 19 specialists from a national firefighting brigade joining the effort. The fire has been described as ‘complex’ and continues to advance, but firefighters have made progress in stopping it from crossing the highway towards more heavily populated coastal towns.

Most of the victims are believed to be British and Belgian nationals, along with one Spaniard. Eight people were injured in the fire, with four of them severely injured and currently in hospital in Seville.

The cause of the fire is not yet known, but authorities have played down the likelihood of a major increase in the death toll. The number of people formally reported missing is seven, compared to 23 that had been reported informally by Friday.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.