A minimum of 12 people have died in what is one of Spain’s worst wildfires, and 23 remain missing.

Andalusia’s health and emergencies minister, Antonio Sanz, says it’s the “most devastating fire” the region has ever seen, saying the majority, or even all of the victims, may have been foreign nationals.

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

A search by the Civil Guard into the cause of the fire, which continues to be a power line from the electricity company Endesa, has not yet been completed.

This summer, temperatures have been reaching around 40 °C (104F) and resulting in a heatwave across Southern Europe, which is causing wildfires. Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in France, Portugal and Spain, where firefighters have been deployed to deal with huge fires.