Bédar, Spain. Firefighters continued efforts on Saturday to contain a major wildfire in Spain’s southeastern Almería province that has killed 12 people and prompted the evacuation of more than 1,400 residents.
The fire, which began near the forested district of Bédar north of Los Gallardos, remained complex and was still advancing, according to Andalusia’s emergency services chief Antonio Sanz.
Firefighting operation
Sanz said firefighters had prevented the blaze from crossing a highway toward the more heavily populated coastal towns.
“Today is the first day we will be able to work on attacking the fire,” he told reporters at the emergency zone cordon, after earlier efforts focused on preventing its advance.
More than 500 firefighters and emergency workers, including regional firefighters, soldiers and 19 specialists from a national firefighting brigade, were involved in the operation.
Victims and injuries
The fire spread rapidly on Friday after being fanned by winds, engulfing victims as they attempted to flee.
Autopsies have been completed on all 12 bodies recovered near Bédar, but their identities have not yet been confirmed. Most of those killed are believed to be British and Belgian nationals, along with one Spaniard.
Eight people were injured, including four seriously, and remain in hospital in Seville.
Identification and evacuations
The Institute of Forensic Medicine in Almería said no victims had been identified and that it was not yet possible to determine the age or sex of the deceased.
Samples were transferred to Madrid for further analysis and comparison with DNA provided by families.
Authorities said seven people had been formally reported missing by families, compared with 23 informal reports received by Friday. Several communities around Bédar were evacuated overnight as a precaution.