The death toll from the devastating wildfire in Los Gallardos and Bedar has risen to 12, after a cyclist was found dead in the latest tragedy linked to the blaze.
The wildfire has now claimed more lives than any previous forest fire in Andalucia, with 23 people still missing.
Eight people have also been injured, four of them seriously, as hundreds of firefighters battle to contain the blaze.
Cyclist among latest victims
According to local reports, the latest victim was a cyclist who is believed to have become trapped by the flames while riding.
Emergency services continue searching for those still unaccounted for, amid growing fears the death toll could rise further.
Diario de Almeria also reports that seven local residents who had gone for their usual afternoon walk are among those still missing.
Brits feared among victims
The 12 victims have been found at two separate locations near Bedar, where they are believed to have been trying to escape the flames after fleeing isolated homes and rural properties.
Regional authorities believe most, if not all, of the victims are foreign nationals, the majority of them British, although formal identification is still underway.
Speaking on Friday, Andalucía’s emergencies minister, Antonio Sanz, said there are indications that at least four of the victims may be British.
He explained they were discovered inside a vehicle with the steering wheel on the right-hand side, suggesting it was a UK-registered or right-hand-drive car.
He stressed, however, that their identities will only be confirmed through the official identification process.
Search continues
Emergency crews remain on the ground searching for the 23 missing people, while hundreds of firefighters, military personnel and aircraft continue working to contain the wildfire.
The blaze has already forced the evacuation of around 1,000 residents, destroyed thousands of hectares of land and become the deadliest wildfire in Andalucia’s history.
Authorities have urged anyone in the affected area to follow official instructions and avoid entering fire zones while rescue and recovery operations continue.
Four found inside car
Emergency crews discovered four victims inside a car, while the remaining seven were found after abandoning their vehicles and attempting to escape on foot.
‘Unfortunately, the decision to take another route rather than the evacuation route became a real trap,’ Sanz said.
The minister described the blaze as ‘terrible’ and ‘extremely complex’, citing the scattered rural homes, steep terrain and the exceptional speed at which the fire spread.
Authorities also ordered the lockdown of Bedar, a measure Sanz said helped prevent an even greater loss of life.
Eight injured
The latest update also raises the number of people injured to eight, with four suffering serious burns.
The most severely injured are expected to be airlifted from Torrecardenas University Hospital in Almeria to Virgen del Rocio Hospital in Sevilla for specialist treatment.
Emergency teams remain on the ground searching affected areas and assessing whether additional victims may still be located.
The cause of the wildfire remains under investigation. Earlier, Andalucía’s emergency services said several callers to the 112 control centre had reported seeing a fallen electricity cable before the fire spread rapidly into nearby woodland.
However, officials stressed that these were witness reports only and do not constitute official confirmation of the cause, which will be determined by the ongoing investigation.
