Two killed fighting wildfires in Spain

Two firefighters have died from injuries sustained while battling a wildfire in the eastern province of Alicante, a Spanish emergency service official has said.

Hundreds of people have been evacuated by boat to escape a fire raging on the Canary Island of La Gomera.

A spokesman said one firefighter died today in an Alicante city hospital while another died there yesterday. Two other crew members were being treated in the hospital.

Nearly 1,000 people were evacuated by boat from the town of Valle Gran Rey on La Gomera, located off the north-west coast of Africa, as authorities feared fires in surrounding hills could engulf the town.

Some 5,000 people were evacuated from towns on La Gomera and neighbouring Tenerife over the weekend.