FIVE British nationals are among the 13 people who died in the devastating Andalucian wildfires, authorities have confirmed.
A further three victims were identified yesterday afternoon, the High Court of Andalucia said, including one British woman and a married couple from Belgium.
The identities of the final three victims have not yet been confirmed, but authorities are expected to provide a further update later today.
The confirmed death toll so far includes five British nationals, three Belgians, one French citizen and one Spanish national. All of the victims were adults.
It had previously been reported that one of those killed was an American woman, although the latest announcement from the High Court does not include any US nationals among the victims.
On Sunday, police confirmed that a 93-year-old British woman who died in hospital was also among those killed.
The following day, they revealed that three of the first six victims identified through DNA testing and matches with relatives were British.
British pensioner Malcolm Timbrell, 70, who lived in Bedar with his wife Annette Kilgore, described the terrifying moment he made a split-second decision to return to their home to rescue their cats, Charlie and Lilly.
Speaking to the BBC, Timbrell said that when he returned to where his wife and a group of friends and neighbours were gathered, they had already abandoned their vehicles as a fast-moving wall of flames approached.
He managed to take shelter inside a car, but said the others had no way of escaping.
“They had no chance,” he said.
The victims also include British expat couple Pete and Fran Gillam, whose daughter Danielle Gillam-Kirton travelled from her home in Sheffield to Spain after her parents stopped responding to messages and public appeals for information about their whereabouts.
Danielle confirmed the heartbreaking news in a Facebook post yesterday, writing:
“Natalie Gillam Lindsay and I are heartbroken to share that we have received confirmation from the police that Mum and Dad did not survive the fire.”
She said the family was still trying to process the devastating loss and asked for privacy and time as they came to terms with what had happened.
“Thank you for all your love, support, and prayers over the past few days. They have meant more to us than we can ever express.”
She added that further details would be shared when the family was ready.
The deadly wildfire broke out last Thursday in Los Gallardos, in the south-eastern Spanish province of Almeria, before spreading to neighbouring Bedar, an area home to a large British expat community.
The blaze was finally brought under control on Monday, Andalucian president Juanma Moreno said, after scorching around 7,000 hectares of countryside.
READ MORE: PICTURED: British grandparents confirmed among victims of deadly Almeria wildfire
Firefighters expect to completely extinguish the remaining flames over the coming days, Moreno added.
The Almeria wildfire is the deadliest in Andalucia since records exist, and the third deadliest in Spanish recorded history.
The Civil and Investigating Section of the Vera Court of First Instance, Court No. 3, which is overseeing the identification of the victims, has now confirmed nine identities.
Those identified so far include four men and five women.
Authorities said the families of all nine identified victims have been notified.
The difficult task of informing relatives is being carried out in person by uniformed Guardia Civil officers accompanied by a psychologist, the court said.
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