A 93-year-old British woman has died after being admitted to hospital with burns covering 20% of her body, becoming the 13th confirmed victim of devastating wildfires in Spain's Almeria region. She had pre-existing medical conditions, according to regional officials, and was one of eight people taken to hospital, four of them with serious injuries.
Blaze tears through 17,300 acres
The forest fires have ravaged 17,300 acres in Los Gallardos since Friday, ripping through an area popular with tourists and expats. Formal identification of the victims is being carried out using DNA from families who reported loved ones missing. Most 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.
Death toll feared to rise
At least 23 people remain missing, and the death toll is feared to rise. Rescue teams discovered a British couple alive but in critical condition lying in a rugged ravine after becoming trapped by flames during a hike. Spain's civil guard officers were about to turn away when they heard distant cries for help. 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 hospital.
Man trapped with cats
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 about 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.'
