Spain: 11 dead and 19 missing in forest fires in the south

Madrid, July 10 (KUNA) -- Spanish state television reported on Friday that at least 11 people were killed and 19 others are missing in a wildfire in the Andalusia region of southern Spain. The television station quoted the president of the autonomous regional government, Juanma Moreno, as saying that the fire, which broke out in the province of Almeria on Thursday, also injured eight people, four of them in critical condition, noting that most of the victims were foreign tourists. Moreno added that the fire had so far consumed approximately 3,130 hectares, and initial indications suggest it was caused by one of the electricity transmission towers in a rugged, sparsely populated mountainous area. He emphasized that investigations are still ongoing. In the same context, he predicted that the casualty toll could rise as search and rescue operations continue, highlighting that evacuation efforts faced significant difficulties due to the scattered nature of homes, the large number of foreign residents, and the presence of individuals hiking in rural areas when the fire started. Moreno confirmed that around 500 emergency responders, supported by 16 amphibious helicopters, along with wildfire fighting teams, military emergency units, fire brigades, and the Civil Guard, are continuing their efforts to contain the fire, which he described as “spreading rapidly in a difficult terrain.” (End) H.N.D./A.M.S.