1 dead, 11 injured as 1,500 firefighters battle raging wildfires in France
LONDON -- At least one person was killed and 11 others were injured by raging wildfires in France, where more than 1,500 firefighters are battling the flames, officials said.
A French Minister has said the wildfire currently raging in southwestern France, north of Perpignan, has now burnt 13000 hectares.
In a post on X, Ecology Minister, Agnès Pannier-Runacher said that was equivalent to the total area burnt by multiple wildfires throughout the whole of 2024 and double the total area burnt by all wildfires in 2023.
France's Prime Minister, Francois Bayrou, is expected to visit the region this afternoon, according to multiple reports in the French media.
In an earlier statement, Aude prefecture, which is the regional authority, said the wildfire is spreading "very quickly" and the fire "remains very active" as the conditions on Wednesday are "unfavorable."
The fire has been spreading quickly through the countryside and the prefecture's "very provisional" figure is that the fire has so far only "touched" 25 homes, though that number is expected to rise as the fire continues to spread.
Authorities said one person, whom they didn't name, died in the fires. Another 11 people were injured -- including two who were seriously burned -- as of Tuesday afternoon.
Aerial support to battle the fires is expected to arrive on Wednesday morning as 100 police officers are set to join team already working to extinguish the flames.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News' Tom Soufi-Burridge and Aicha El-Hammar contributed to thir report.
