A 93-year-old British woman has died after being hospitalized with burns covering 20% of her body, becoming the 13th confirmed victim of devastating wildfires in Spain's Almeria region. The woman, who had pre-existing medical conditions, was one of eight people taken to hospital on Friday, four with serious injuries, according to regional officials.
Wildfire devastates Los Gallardos
The forest fires have torn through 17,300 acres in Los Gallardos since Friday, an area popular with tourists and expats. Most victims are Belgian and British, along with one Spaniard. Formal identification is being carried out using DNA from families who reported loved ones missing. Remains of four people believed to be British were found trapped in a right-hand-drive vehicle.
Search and rescue efforts
The death toll is feared to rise as at least 23 people remain missing. 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 suffered burns to 40% of their bodies and were taken to hospital.
Heartbreaking stories emerge
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 the tragedy involving her friend's husband. 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.'
