SEVEN Britons and one US national were among the 13 people who died in the devastating Almeria wildfire, authorities have confirmed.
The remaining casualties include three Belgians, one French national and one Spaniard, Almeria’s Court No. 3 in Vera has said.
All victims were adults and comprised eight women and five men. No further bodies are pending formal identification, authorities confirmed.
READ MORE: Family of British couple critically injured in Almeria wildfire raise funds for medical costs
Twelve of the victims were identified via DNA testing after losing their lives in the fire, while a 93-year-old British woman reportedly died from her injuries in hospital on Sunday.
The Almeria wildfire is the deadliest in Andalucia since records began, and one of the deadliest in Spanish history.
It broke out last Thursday after a downed power line apparently ignited a patch of dry vegetation near the town of Los Gallardos, in Almeria province.
Fanned by 50 km/h winds, the flames quickly spread further inland, causing more than 1,500 residents to evacuate their homes while around 500 firefighters and soldiers battled the blaze.
The fire torched 7,000 hectares of countryside across the province before being brought under control on Monday, according to Andalucian authorities.
Evacuated residents have since been allowed to return to their homes gradually.
One of the worst-affected towns was Bedar, a mining town popular with British immigrants.
Several victims were found in the vicinity of the town after tragically losing their lives while attempting to escape the blaze.
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 on Monday, 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.”
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