• At least 12 people have been killed in a major wildfire in southern Spain, with some victims trapped in their vehicles and burned to death as the flames swept through the area.
• Around 10 people were injured and several were taken to the hospital, while more than 1,000 residents from several communities were evacuated and taken to emergency shelters in nearby towns.
• The fire broke out in the municipality of Los Gallardos in the province of Almeria, about 300 kilometers northeast of Malaga, and has been described as an "unprecedented tragedy" by regional officials.

At least 12 people have been killed in a major wildfire in southern Spain, the emergency services in the Andalusia region said early on Friday.

The exact number of fatalities was not yet known, Francisco Miguel Reyes, mayor of the affected municipality of Los Gallardos, told state broadcaster RTVE. He described the blaze as being of an unprecedented scale.

Some of the victims were trapped in their vehicles and burned to death as the flames swept through the area, the emergency services said in a post on X.

Around 10 people were injured, several of whom were taken to hospital, RTVE reported. The wildfire also reached nearby roads, forcing authorities to close a section of the A-7 motorway, according to the broadcaster.

The fire broke out on Thursday afternoon in the municipality of Los Gallardos in the province of Almeria, about 300 kilometres north-east of Málaga, the regional government said.

Regional Interior Minister Antonio Sanz described the blaze as an "unprecedented tragedy," saying it was "the most devastating fire to date" in Andalusia.

"The pain is immense. Andalusia is in mourning, and our hearts go out to Almería and all those affected," he said.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also expressed his "deep sorrow and desolation in the face of the terrible consequences of the fire" in a post on X.

More than 1,000 residents from several communities were evacuated and taken to emergency shelters in nearby towns, including Mojácar. A campsite that had so far been spared by the flames was also evacuated as a precaution.

Around 400 people, some of them elderly, were transported to safety with the assistance of emergency services.

Around 150 firefighters battled the blaze throughout the night, according to RTVE. Winds had since eased, which was expected to help firefighting efforts, the broadcaster reported on Friday morning.

Spain has been battling a series of wildfires in recent months. Since the start of the year, fires have burned more than 50,000 hectares of land, according to data from the European Commission's European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).