A fast-moving wildfire in Spain’s Almería province has killed at least 13 people, marking the deadliest such incident in the country’s recent history.
The blaze, fueled by tinder-dry conditions and winds reaching 70 km/h, advanced rapidly toward the village of Bédar, forcing mass evacuations and leaving nearly 20 others unaccounted for.
Regional officials confirmed the death toll on Thursday as emergency crews struggled to contain the inferno.
Witnesses described a harrowing escape from "walls of fire," with the blaze covering five and a half kilometers in just 30 minutes.
As the immediate danger subsides, anger is mounting over what authorities have termed chaotic and inadequate communication during the crisis.
The incident has drawn attention from multiple international wire services, including Bloomberg and the South China Morning Post, highlighting the severity of the event.