Madrid wildfires: Spain horror as huge fires erupt near city filled with British tourists | World | News
Massive fires are raging in two European countries popular with British tourists, forcing the evacuation of more than 200,000 people. forests are burning France And Spain, and thousands of people fled their homes.
The areas most affected are Cap Ferret, located just 60 km from the city. burgundy A region on the Atlantic coast of France and near Madrid and the province of Avila in Spain. In Spain, more than 1,000 residents have since been allowed to go to evacuated villages north of Los Gallardos, near the city of Almeria. The Spanish Ministry of Internal Affairs said that a total of 60,000 people were evacuated due to the fires, while in France, 141,000 people fled their homes in the Gironde and Landes regions.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said that the large forest fire that ravaged large areas in southwestern France was advancing towards the city of Bordeaux.
The Cap Ferret peninsula was also evacuated, and approximately 1,500 people who escaped from the peninsula reached the city of Arcachon by sea; some of these were by small water taxis, others by larger boats.
The forest fires that ravaged southeastern Spain and France were caused by heat waves reaching 40 degrees. Extreme weather conditions combined with dry ground and strong winds caused the fires to spread rapidly. Officials said dozens of French firefighters were injured but no deaths were reported in either country
Seven British citizens were among the 13 people who died after devastating bushfires gripped southern Spain last week, the country’s police have confirmed.
A 93-year-old British woman was hospitalized on Friday after suffering burns to about 20 percent of her body, and her death was confirmed on Sunday afternoon, the government said. Four more British victims were found after their bodies were found in a burned-out car.
Two British hikers were reportedly found alive but badly burned. The man and woman are thought to have 40 percent burns, according to Spanish national broadcaster RTVE.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the devastating bushfires in Spain. We support the British nationals and their families affected and remain in close contact with the Spanish authorities.”
Spain has been subjected to frequent and severe heat waves in recent years; temperatures often exceed 40°C.
