At least 11 people have died and 19 others remain missing after a fast-spreading wildfire swept through a village in southern Spain, with authorities suspecting that some of the victims may be foreign tourists.
Officials said four of those killed may have been British nationals after they were found burnt inside a right-hand-drive vehicle, although their identities are yet to be confirmed.
The blaze struck Bedar, a small village in the Los Gallardos district of Almeria Province, forcing residents and visitors to flee as flames rapidly spread through the forested area.
Andalusia’s emergency minister, Antonio Sanz, confirmed the death toll in a statement shared on X, describing the incident as a devastating tragedy.
“Currently, we have confirmed that 11 people have lost their lives in the Los Gallardos fire; there are no words for such grief,” Sanz said.
He added that investigations were ongoing to establish the identities of the victims, noting that most or all of those who died appeared to be foreign nationals.
About 400 firefighters and military personnel were deployed to battle the inferno, which witnesses said may have started after a fallen power line ignited dry vegetation.
Emergency authorities received more than 150 calls as the fire spread, with flames reportedly visible from a major highway near the village.
Sanz said eight people were injured in the incident, including four who sustained serious injuries, while approximately 3,150 hectares of forests and farmland were destroyed.
The president of the Andalusian regional government, Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, confirmed that 19 people were still unaccounted for.
The regional government said the fire was particularly difficult to control because of the area’s rugged landscape, including ravines and homes located close to wooded zones.
Residents were evacuated from affected communities, while around 150 people were temporarily accommodated in a cultural centre. Spain’s Military Emergency Unit also joined efforts to contain the flames.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed sadness over the disaster, saying he was “deeply saddened and devastated” by the wildfire’s consequences.
The incident occurred as Spain and neighbouring France faced extreme heat, with temperatures forecast to reach 40°C in some areas, increasing the risk of more wildfires.
Spain has recorded more frequent and intense heatwaves in recent years, with prolonged high temperatures creating conditions favourable for large-scale fires.
The country recorded its third-hottest year on record in 2025, according to the national weather agency AEMET, with 25 daily heat records reported during the year.
Last year, wildfires destroyed nearly 400,000 hectares of land in Spain — the highest figure ever recorded by the European Forest Fire Information System.
France has also been battling severe wildfires, including a blaze in the southeastern Drome region that has burned thousands of hectares of land.