At least 12 killed as wildfire sweeps through southern Spain

At least 12 people have been killed in a wildfire in southern Spain, where around 150 firefighters are battling to contain the blaze, emergency services in the Andalusia region said.

The fire broke out in the municipality of Los Gallardos in Almería province, prompting a major emergency response, Sky News reports.

Antonio Sanz, Andalusia's Minister of the Presidency, Health, and Emergencies, described the incident as "the most devastating fire to date in our region" and called it an "unprecedented tragedy."

Juanma Moreno, president of the Andalusian regional government, expressed condolences in a post on X.

"Our deepest condolences to the families of the six people who lost their lives in Los Gallardos, and the affection from all of us to the municipalities affected by the fire," he wrote.

Authorities have not immediately explained the discrepancy between the official death toll of at least 12 and Moreno's reference to six fatalities.

The wildfire follows another major blaze in southern France earlier this week that forced the evacuation of more than 10,000 people from around two dozen towns and villages near the Spanish border.

Scientists say increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves are raising the risk of wildfires across Europe. Early summer heatwaves in May and June left large areas of western Europe exceptionally dry, creating conditions favorable for rapidly spreading fires. According to the World Meteorological Organization, Europe is warming at more than twice the global average, increasing the likelihood of prolonged periods of extreme heat.

By Sabina Mammadli