Spanish premier to visit wildfire-hit Almeria as deadly blaze stabilizes

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will visit wildfire-hit areas of Almeria on Monday after authorities stabilized the Los Gallardos blaze, which killed 12 people and forced mass evacuations, local media reported Sunday.

Sanchez will travel to the affected areas alongside Third Deputy Prime Minister and Ecological Transition Minister Sara Aagesen, according to Infobae.

They are expected to visit the Advanced Command Post in Turre and meet officials overseeing emergency and coordination operations.

Andalusian regional President Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla announced Sunday that the fire had been stabilized after favorable overnight conditions.

He said around 7,000 hectares had burned within a perimeter of more than 40 kilometers (25 miles), while a 90-member emergency operation remained deployed.

Authorities also authorized the staggered return of 1,000 evacuated residents, with Moreno stressing that the process would be carried out with safety precautions.

A search operation involving around 100 personnel from emergency services, the Military Emergency Unit and the Civil Guard continued in the affected areas to search for additional victims.

The 12 people killed remain unidentified pending DNA comparisons with relatives arriving from abroad, while eight people are officially listed as missing. France has also informed that a French citizen may be among those missing since the fire.

Four injured people remain hospitalized in stable but serious condition in the major burns unit at Virgen del Rocio Hospital in Seville.

Initial indications point to a fallen high-voltage cable as the possible cause of the fire, Infobae reported.

A new wildfire broke out in Aiguamurcia, located in the northeastern Spanish province of Tarragona, spreading rapidly through forested areas and prompting authorities to order residents in several communities to remain indoors. Firefighters said strong sea breezes were driving the flames as aircraft continue to carry out water drops on both flanks of the fire.