Foreign nationals are believed to be among at least 11 people killed in a wildfire in southern Spain, and they may include four British nationals who were burned in their car, Spanish authorities said on Friday.
Formal identification was still under way after the blaze swept through the Los Gallardos area of Almeria province, but “everything appears to indicate that the majority, or possibly all, of those who died were foreigners,” said Antonio Sanz, Andalusia’s Emergencies Minister.
Four of the victims were found in a car that was right-hand drive, Sanz said, suggesting they might be British nationals.
The other seven may have died as they attempted to flee on foot through an area characterized as difficult terrain.
Eight people were also injured in the wildfire, which broke out on Thursday and spread quickly through the popular tourist region.
The deceased were found in the area around Bédar after attempting to flee the flames from various farmhouses and scattered dwellings.
According to initial reports in the Diario de Almería, the victims became trapped when they took an alternative route to the one indicated by the emergency services and ventured into a ravine which, in the words of Sanz, turned out to be a “trap”.
At least 19 people are still missing following the fire, the head of the regional government of Andalusia, Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, said Friday.
“There are currently at least 19 people who remain unaccounted for,” he said on public radio on Friday.
READ MORE: LATEST – Devastating wildfire in Spain leaves at least 11 dead and 19 missing
With additional reporting from AFP.
