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A British woman, aged 93, has died from injuries sustained during one of Spain’s worst wildfires, raising the death toll to 13 in Los Gallardos, Almeria. The fires have affected 17,300 acres, with at least 23 people reported missing.
Authorities have confirmed that the ongoing investigation involves using DNA for the formal identification of the victims, as none have been named yet. Rescue teams continue to search for the 23 missing individuals, with reports indicating that the fire has devastated 17,300 acres in Almeria since it began on Friday.
Spain’s civil guard continues its search for missing persons amid rising public concern regarding safety measures in wildfire-prone areas; at least 23 people remain unaccounted for. Local authorities are conducting DNA testing to identify the victims, while community members express frustration with claims that some individuals ignored evacuation orders.
What remains unclear — The identities of those confirmed dead in the wildfires have not yet been disclosed.
British woman becomes 13th confirmed death in Spain’s wildfires
The death toll from southern Spain’s forest fires is rising, with British woman becoming the latest confirmed victim (Picture: Francis Gonzalez/SOPA Images/Shutterstock)
A British woman has died following one of Spain’s worst wildfires, taking the confirmed death toll to 13 while more people remain missing.
She was taken to the hospital after the forest fires devastated parts of Almeria, tearing through 17,300 acres in Los Gallardos since Friday.
The woman, 93, had burns covering 20% of her body when she was admitted to hospital on Friday.
She is said to have had pre-existing medical conditions, and was one of eight people taken to hospital, four of them with serious injuries, according to regional officials.
Formal identification of the victims, none of whom have been identified yet, is being carried out using DNA from the families who reported loved ones missing in the deadly blaze, which ripped through the area popular with tourists and expats.
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Most of the victims are Belgian and British, along with one Spaniard.
Remains of four people thought to be British were found trapped in a right-wheel vehicle.
The Los Gallardos forest fire has killed at leat 13 people (Picture: REUTERS)
The death toll is feared to rise as at least 23 people are missing.
Meanwhile, rescue teams searching for any survivours discovered a British couple alive but in critical condition lying in a rugged ravine after becoming trapped by the flames during a hike.
Spain’s civil guard officers were about to turn away when hearing distant cries for help.
Caption: Thomas-Wolf Verdonckt, whose dad Stanislas Verdonckt, 63, was killed in deadly wildfires in Bedar, has disputed authorities’ claims that some of those killed ignored orders to leave or shelter in place (Picture: REUTERS)
Sergeant Pedro Barr told broadcaster TVE: ‘As you gain more experience, something inside you tells you, “Look again, try one more time”.’
He said they almost mistook the cries for an echo.
The hikers had suffered burns to 40% of their bodies, and were taken to the hospital.
A British man trying to escape with his cats is believed to have died while phoning his wife as flames surrounded his car.
Penelope Howe, from Wolverhampton, told The Times what happened to her friend’s husband trapped in the tragedy.
Howe said: ‘She’s in deep shock. At one point, he needed to stop and she spoke to him on the phone.
‘He had got the cats and was trapped in the car. They were speaking together for the last few minutes. That was how it ended.’
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