At least 12 people have been killed in a wildfire in a tourist area of Spain's south, authorities said on Friday, as a scorching heat wave spreads through the region.

Regional emergency authorities said the victims included British and other foreign nationals. More than 20 people are still unaccounted for.

What do we know about the wildfire?

Six people had died in the hamlet of Bedar, Andalusia, as of Thursday evening, with four of the bodies found trapped in vehicles.

Six more bodies were later discovered in Los Gallardos, Andalusia's regional government said in a statement on Friday morning, taking the total number to 12.

The RTVE broadcaster described it as the "deadliest wildfire of the 21st century" in the popular holiday destination.

Over 1,000 residents from several communities were evacuated due to the wildfire.

Andalusian Minister of the Presidency, Health, and Emergencies Antonio Sanz said that formal identification of the victims was still underway but "everything appears to indicate that the majority, or possibly all, of those who died were foreigners." That includes the four bodies found in the vehicle which was a right-hand drive, suggesting the victims were British nationals.

"There are no words for such grief," he said earlier on Friday, calling it an "unprecedented tragedy."

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, and the King and Queen expressed their grief over lives lost in posts on X. 

Meanwhile, Sanz urged residents to avoid the impacted areas, not take any risks and choose escape routes after coordinating with emergency services.

"The absolute priority right now is to save lives, and that is what all operational services are working tirelessly to achieve," he said.

Other injured residents were treated for various degrees of burns and respiratory issues arising from smoke inhalation.

Spain's emergency services combat flames

Authorities have mobilized about 150 firefighters and 220 soldiers from Spain's military emergency unit to rein in the spreading fire.

The firefighters are backed by five fire trucks, fire suppression technicians, and medical units.

Residents of several neighborhoods, including Almocaizar, Fuente del Albarico, Los Pinos, La Serena, and El Pinar, had been evacuated.

What caused the wildfire?

Earlier, witnesses told authorities that the blaze may have started after a power line fell, igniting the dry vegetation.

Authorities have not confirmed if this was the cause of the fire.

Spain, among other European nations, is facing a heat wave with scorching temperatures triggering orange weather warnings in recent days. That's the second-highest level of alert, which indicates significant danger.

The high temperatures dry out vegetation, increasing the risk of forest fires.

In May, Sanchez had said that Spain would launch its largest-ever wildfire response this year. 

Spain recorded its worst wildfire in recent history in 2025, according to the European Forest Fire Information System, burning over 393,000 hectares (971,000 Acres), or about three times the size of Los Angeles, US.

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Edited by: Sean Sinico