Deadly wildfire rips through southern Spain, killing 12 as 23 remain missing

Emergency crews in south-eastern Spain are battling to contain one of the deadliest wildfires in the country's history, with at least 12 people killed and 23 others missing as flames tear through parts of Almería province.

Hundreds of firefighters and emergency specialists have been deployed around the village of Bédar, where the deaths have been reported. Spanish authorities said four Britons were among those killed.

Officials in the Los Gallardos area have warned that the death toll could rise, amid fears that more foreign nationals, including Britons, may be among the victims.

The wildfire spread rapidly on Thursday afternoon as temperatures hovered around 40 degrees Celsius, with extremely dry ground and powerful winds fuelling the flames.

The blaze comes as a sustained heatwave is triggering wildfires across southern Europe, particularly in Spain, France and Portugal.

Four victims were found in a burnt-out car. Antonio Sanz, Andalusia's health and emergencies minister, said they were believed to be "of British origin", noting that the vehicle had a steering wheel on the right.

No further details about their identities have been released.

Sanz said the rapidly spreading wildfire had created an extremely complex emergency and suggested that the majority, or possibly all, of those killed could be foreign nationals.

Lucinda Curtois, who arrived in Spain with her partner Riyaz Cheytan and their teenage children for a holiday on Thursday, described the dramatic escape from Bédar.

"It was almost like there was a mushroom cloud of smoke, it was like a bomb had gone off," she said.

Curtois said she feared at least two other British nationals had been killed after apparently trying to flee their home on foot.

"They left their home on foot, I don't know why," she said. "I can only presume it was probably because their road was cut off because they live out in the countryside."

Officials in Bédar said some victims had not followed a recommended evacuation route, though it remained unclear how effectively the guidance had been communicated to residents.

The cause of the wildfire has initially been linked to a fallen power line. However, local electricity companies have denied that their infrastructure caused the blaze.

The Los Gallardos area is home to a sizeable foreign population, raising concerns about nationals from other European countries who remain unaccounted for.

Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said many Belgian nationals owned second homes in the region and consular authorities were attempting to contact people who could not yet be reached.

Spain's national weather agency AEMET said conditions were expected to become "rather more favourable" on Saturday, with moderate winds and cooler air potentially helping firefighting operations.

With at least 12 deaths, the blaze is already ranking among the deadliest wildfires recorded in Spain. In 1984, 20 people were killed in a fire on the Canary Island of La Gomera, while 21 people, including nine children, died in a forest fire near Lloret de Mar in 1979.

Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent, heating at twice the global average, according to the Copernicus climate service. Rising temperatures are increasing the frequency of summer heatwaves, placing greater pressure on water supplies and contributing to conditions that can fuel more intense wildfires.