What we know so far about the victims of the fire

The bodies of the 11 people that are confirmed to have been killed in the fire were found in and around the small village of Bédar, just outside Los Gallardos, in the Andalusia region of southern Spain.

The region’s health and emergencies minister, Antonio Sanz, says the majority, or even all of the victims, may be foreign nationals.

Four of those killed were trapped inside a car, says Sanz, adding that these four are believed to be “of British origin” and that the car had a steering wheel on the right.

However, we do not have any official confirmation that those involved were British. The BBC has contacted the UK Foreign Office for further information.

Andalusia’s regional leader, Juanma Moreno, says that a further 19 people are currently unaccounted for, while a further eight have been injured, four seriously so.

Hundreds of soldiers involved in emergency response

Hundreds of emergency responders and military personnel are battling the wildfire, which officials say has already burnt through 3,000 hectares in Almería.

The region’s emergency agency (EMA) says so far it has deployed:

• 178 personnel
• Nine fire engines
• Seven helicopters -five medium, one light, one command
• Six planes – two ground-based, one amphibious and one coordination aircraft

Spain’s Military Emergency Unit (UME) says it has also deployed 220 soldiers and 70 vehicles to the Almería region to assist.

Meanwhile, Spain’s civil guard says more than 160 law enforcement personnel are involved in the emergency response, aiding evacuation, traffic regulation and searching for the origin of the fire.

Wildfire is a ‘major tragedy’, regional leader sayspublished at 13:1613:16

We can now bring you some more from Andalusia’s regional leader Juanma Moreno, who has just given a update on the wildfire.

After confirming that 12 people have died and 23 are missing, Moreno says four people remain “seriously injured”.

Moreno says that just because someone is missing “doesn’t mean they’re dead” and may be located in a different area, so “we must be cautious”.

He calls the situation a “major tragedy” and describes the fire as “complex”.

Local mayor fears wind picking up could ‘complicate’ response

A fire service helicopter drops water onto one of the fire’s hotspots in Los Gallardos, Almeria, Spain

The mayor of a town near where the wildfire is burning says the fire is “more or less” under control but warns “if the wind picks up again, things could get complicated”.

Pedro Riado, the mayor of Antas, tells Spanish broadcaster RTVE there has been significant damage to land in the area but the fire has not reached any homes yet.

The mayor says that authorities will be keeping a close eye on wind and air conditions, “which is our main concern right now”.

UK Foreign Office in touch with Spanish authoritiespublished at 12:3012:30

The UK Foreign Office is in contact with authorities in Spain, a No 10 spokeswoman says, after reports that four British people may have been killed in the fire.

Andalusia’s health and emergencies minister Antonio Sanz said earlier that four bodies were found in a burnt-out car which had its steering wheel on the right, and that the people inside were believed to be “of British origin”.

Downing Street says the government is seeking more information following the “concerning” reports, PA news agency reports.

“I’m aware of those reports and the Foreign Office are in touch with the relevant authorities in Spain,” the No 10 spokeswoman says.

More than 1,000 excess deaths reported in Spain’s June heatwave

Much of western Europe has seen repeated extreme heatwaves over recent months.

Spain has been hit hard with more than 1,000 excess deaths reported in June’s heatwave alone – with some areas recording record temperatures.

Spain is no stranger to hot and dry summers; these bring conditions conducive for wildfires.

Satellite pictures seem to show a thermal heat anomaly associated with yesterday’s fire around 16:40 local time (15:40 BST).

Once the fire had initiated, southeasterly winds gusting in excess of 25mph would have fanned the flames, pushing the fire rapidly up the slopes of the local hills.

Satellite imagery shows the fire rapidly becoming much larger and much more intense into the early evening.