Several victims of the fire in Almeria were found inside burnt-out vehicles, local media reported. Eight others have been injured in the blaze, which 150 firefighters and 220 soldiers from Spain’s military emergency unit battled Friday.
Regional Spanish emergency authorities said four British nationals appeared to be among the victims, the AP reported.
Authorities reported earlier that 12 people had died, but revised the death toll Friday morning. Andalusia’s regional leader Juan Manuel Moreno told the Cadena Ser radio station on Friday that 19 people were unaccounted for.
The fire broke out in a hamlet in a semi-arid area near the Sierra de Los Filabres mountains. Authorities have not confirmed the cause of the fire, but said people who called to report it said that a fallen power line had sparked a blaze that spread rapidly into a nearby forest.
The fire also led to road closures, while 1,000 residents were evacuated, according to emergency services.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his condolences, writing on X of his “Immense sadness and desolation in the face of the terrible consequences of the fire affecting the province of Almeria.”
Spain has battled frequent and severe heat waves in recent years, with temperatures often exceeding 40 C (104 F). Wind, high temperatures and little rainfall help small wildfires grow into unchecked blazes.
MNA