British woman becomes 13th person to die in Spanish wildfires

A 93-year-old British woman has died after being injured in the fierce wildfires that swept through southern Spain, authorities said.

The Andalusian government said the woman was taken to hospital on Friday after suffering burns to about 20% of her body.

Her death was confirmed on Sunday afternoon, bringing the total number of fatalities from the fires to 13.

Four other Britons are believed to have died while trying to escape the fires on Friday.

Last week, four bodies were found near the village of Bédar, in a burned-out car with its steering wheel on the right, leading authorities to believe they were of “British origin”.

On Sunday, two British hikers were found alive but badly burned.

The man and woman, who have not been identified, are thought to have suffered 40% burns, according to the Spanish national broadcaster, RTVE.

The pair was discovered by a team of Civil Guards, who said they had already checked the area but had a feeling that they should return.

In an interview with RTVE, the Civil Guard officers said they found the two British people alive just as night was falling.

Sergeant Pedro Barre told the broadcaster: “That experience we accumulate over the years is what tells you: take another look, give it one last try, check again just in case.”

He said they called out and used whistles, before eventually hearing a sound which they thought at first could have been an echo.

irefighters work on a wildfire in Los Gallardos, near Almeria, Spain. / Credit: AP

Another of the rescuers, Rafael Zea, said that given the couple’s injuries, it must have taken a “Titanic effort” for them to raise their voices to be heard.

With the help of firefighters and emergency services, they were rescued after more than two hours.

The pair are now said to be in a serious condition in hospital, although their lives are not believed to be in danger.

Spanish authorities believe all the victims were foreign tourists, who are thought to have attempted to escape on foot after apparently abandoning their vehicles and trying to flee through rugged terrain.

Antonio Sanz, head of Andalusia’s emergency services, previously said that authorities had completed post-mortem examinations and DNA samples were collected to identify them.

Spain has suffered frequent and severe heatwaves in recent years, with temperatures often exceeding 40C.

In June, Spain experienced several days of record-setting heat, with more than 1,000 excess deaths attributed to heat.