12 People Killed in a Forest Fire in Andalusia, Spain

JAKARTA - A total of 12 people were killed in a forest fire that occurred on Thursday (9/7) in the Los Gallardos area, Almeria Province, Andalusia region, southern Spain, according to RTVE television reports.

Andalusia's emergency services said the victims were found in a small settlement in the neighboring region of Bedar. Several victims were found inside vehicles that were engulfed in flames.

The acting Minister of Health, Presidency, and Emergency of Andalusia, Antonio Sanz, called the incident the "largest fire so far" in the region and described it as an "unprecedented tragedy."

As reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Friday, July 10, authorities have raised the status of the forest fire management plan to an emergency phase due to the continued spread of the fire. Meanwhile, the Spanish Military Emergency Unit (UME) deployed 150 personnel to strengthen the extinguishing efforts.

Fires and thick clouds of smoke also forced the closure of two major roads in the province of Almeria.

Separately, around 1,000 people were evacuated as a precautionary measure due to another forest fire that occurred on Thursday afternoon local time in the province of Malaga, southern Spain.

The fire in Malaga is still ongoing, with nearly 180 personnel continuing to try to control and stabilize the situation.