At least 12 people have been killed in one of southern Spain’s worst-ever wildfires, local officials said Friday. The fires are spreading due to strong winds, and dozens remain missing.

Efforts to Contain the Fire

Around 150 emergency workers were deployed to battle the forest fire near the town of Los Gallardos on the Costa de Almería. Several residents had been evacuated from their homes, according to a statement from the regional government of Andalusia.

Andalusia’s regional leader Juanma Moreno said in a news conference Friday that at least 23 people remain missing. Temperature records have been smashed across Europe this summer as countries are hit by heat waves which are bringing extreme temperatures alarmingly early in the year.

Some victims attempted to escape the blaze via a dry river bed, which turned out to be a deadly “trap.” Four people died in a vehicle, while seven others were killed while trying to get away from the fire on foot.

International Response

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his sadness over the recent deaths in the country’s south. “I want to convey my condolences to the families of those who died,” he said.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.