Four British people are feared to be dead among 11 people who have been killed in a Spanish wildfire, officials have said.
The blaze broke out in Los Gallardos in Almeria province, Andalusia, in the south of Spain.
Another 19 people remain unaccounted for, with roughly 150 firefighters trying to tackle the blaze in the early hours of this morning.
Described as an "unprecedented tragedy", the fire is considered to be Spain's worst in more than two decades.
Antonio Sanz Cabello, president of the Andalusian emergency agency, said it was "the most devastating fire to date in our region".
The fire spread quickly in a wooded area near the town of Los Gallardos, particularly impacting the hamlet of Bedar.
Mr Cabello said the authorities have told locals to stay in their homes, and deaths have occurred when people have attempted to escape.
Four people died in a car, he said, and they appeared to be British, as the steering wheel was on the right-hand side.
Emergency services continue to fight the blaze which has taken at least 11 lives already, four of which suspected to British nationals
|REUTERS
"Everything seems to indicate that they're from Britain," he said.
Seven others had died after apparently leaving their cars and attempting escape on foot.
There are 19 others who remain unaccounted for, with the emergency services continuing their search and rescue mission, Andalusia's regional leader Juanma Moreno said on local radio.
Four people have been taken to hospital for serious burns, and another four have been described as less seriously injured.
Other injuries include minor burns and respiratory problems due to smoke inhalation.
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Smoke can be seen billowing from the hills in southern Spain as 19 people remain unaccounted for
|REUTERS
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez offered his condolences to the families of those who had died, saying he felt "enormous sadness" over the tragedy.
He said: "Immense sadness and desolation in the face of the terrible consequences of the fire affecting the province of Almería.
"I want to convey my condolences to the families of those who died in the Los Gallardos forest fire.
"My wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured and my solidarity with all the affected neighbours."
He added the military, emergency services and security forces had be mobilised to fight the fire.
Mr Sánchez concluded: "Much caution."
The Spanish Prime Minister revealed in May the country would deploy its biggest-ever wildfire response this year.
However, the most recent spate of wildfires meant road closures for residents and 1,000 people facing evacuation from affected areas.
Spain experienced its highest daily average temperature since 1950 in June.
It has days where the highest-ever temperatures for the month were recorded, reaching 42C.
Last year, the southern European country endured wildfires, with a record 393,000 hectares of land burnt – six times the Spanish average between the years 2006 and 2024.
Last year, the European Union had its worst wildfire season since records began in 2006.
GB News has approached the Foreign Office for comment.