MADRID, July 26 (Bernama-dpa) -- Nearly 60,000 people were forced to flee to safety on Saturday due to the severe forest fires near the Spanish capital, Madrid, reported German Press Agency (dpa).
In the province of Ávila, north-west of Madrid, 30,000 residents have been evacuated, Francisco Martín Aguirre, the Spanish government's prefect for Madrid, told journalists.
A further 29,488 people were evacuated in the area surrounding the capital.
The ministry also said more than 28,000 people were unable to leave their homes because of the fires: 20,262 in the greater Madrid area and 8,000 in Ávila.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government had declared a "state of emergency of national significance" on Friday in the Greater Madrid area and in Ávila.
According to the public broadcaster RTVE, this is the first time in Spain that such a declaration has been made due to forest fires.
On Saturday morning, the Interior Ministry reported that weather conditions had improved overnight, making it easier to tackle the fires.
Sánchez said in an address from the emergency services' command centre that this meant there was a chance of bringing the fires under control over the weekend.
However, he added that the situation remained difficult. The top priority, he said, was to protect lives.
-- BERNAMA-dpa
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