Madrid:
The blaze, which broke out in Los Gallardos, has also spread across the municipalities of Bédar and Antas in Almería province, scorching around 3,150 hectares.
The Andalusian regional government revised the death toll to 11, correcting earlier reports that 12 people had been killed. Eight people were injured, four of them seriously, after suffering burns and smoke inhalation. Authorities are considering transferring the critically injured to Virgen del Rocío Hospital in Seville for specialised treatment.
Four others were treated at the scene for respiratory problems and minor burns.
Around 120 residents were evacuated overnight, joining people previously moved from Almocaizar, Fuente del Albarico, Los Pinos, La Serena and the Pinar area of nearby Bédar. Seventy-four evacuees have been accommodated at the Lubrín theatre and another 74 at the Garrucha theatre.
Andalusian President Juanma Moreno described the consequences as “devastating”, saying emergency teams were working tirelessly to contain the blaze and assist those affected.
Antonio Sanz Cabello, Andalusia’s Minister of the Presidency, Health and Emergencies, urged residents to comply immediately with evacuation and confinement orders.
“In an emergency, the authorities’ instructions are not recommendations: they are designed to protect lives,” he said.
Officials said the fire fronts were not advancing, but warned that a change in wind conditions could increase the risk. The regional government has kept Andalusia’s forest fire emergency plan, Plan Infoca, activated in Almería as intensive firefighting operations continue.
