Summary
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At least 12 people have died in a wildfire in southern Spain, with early indications suggesting four of the victims are British, according to a local official
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Hundreds of emergency responders are working to extinguish the blaze around Los Gallardos, Almería – officials say they’ve never had such a devastating fire
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The bodies of the victims were found near the small village of Bédar, just outside Los Gallardos, while 23 others are still missing and hundreds of residents have been evacuated
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The fire is “more or less” under control but “if the wind picks up again, things could get complicated”, the mayor of nearby town Antas tells Spanish media
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Meanwhile, the UK Foreign Office is in touch with the relevant authorities in Spain over the “concerning” reports of British casualties, Downing Street says
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A sustained heatwave with temperatures of around 40C (104F) has caused wildfires across southern Europe this summer
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Peter, on holidays near Los Gallardos, tells the BBC it was “surreal” as the sky became darker, with the “glow” of the fire in the distance – get in touch, external if it’s safe to do so