Barcelona [Spain], August 23: Around 1,000 people have been evacuated due to a forest fire in eastern Spain. Buses have been made available for people without their vehicles, Juan Carlos Valderrama, the minister for civil protection in the Autonomous Community of Valencia, said.
The flames around the village of Gatova, near Valencia, are believed to have been sparked by a lightning strike late on Thursday. The blaze is not yet under control. By Friday evening, more than 400 hectares had been burnt.
The European Commission's Forest Fire Information System says more than 297,000 hectares have already been burnt in 425 forest fires in Spain this year.
Meanwhile, further north on the Costa Daurada, three people were injured when a wall collapsed in the town of Roda de Bera near Tarragona following heavy rainfall. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune
