Deadliest Forest Fire of the Century in Spain: 12 Dead in Almería

In the forest fire that started on July 12 in the Los Gallardos region of Spain's Almería province, the death toll has reached 12 and the number of injured has risen to 18. It was announced that five of the injured taken to the hospital are in critical condition. With the improvement of weather conditions, positive progress has been made in bringing the fire under control.

The fire, in which approximately 7,000 hectares of land have turned to ash, is being responded to by more than 500 personnel from Plan INFOCA, the Military Emergencies Unit (UME), firefighters, and security forces. While thousands of evacuated residents are gradually being allowed to return to their homes, the A-7 highway has also been reopened to traffic. Security forces continue their fire-extinguishing efforts while also taking precautions against potential flare-ups.

Civil Guard teams have completed the search operations for missing persons without finding any new bodies. Following the incident, King Charles III of the United Kingdom sent a message of condolence to King Felipe VI of Spain. Additionally, while investigations into the cause of the fire continue, it was determined that the initially suspected power line was not connected to the grid.