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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Tom Ross and Jessica Coates

Seven British nationals confirmed dead in devastating Spanish wildfires

Seven British nationals have been confirmed dead in the devastating wildfires in southern Spain.

A spokesperson for the Guardia Civil in Almeria made the announcement on Tuesday.

The total confirmed death toll from the fires so far is 13.

The spokesperson said that three Belgian people had also died, along with an American, a French national and a Spanish national.

Among the dead was a 93-year-old British woman, who was taken to hospital on Friday after suffering burns to about 20 per cent of her body.

Her death was confirmed on Sunday afternoon.

Flames burn on a hillside during a wildfire near Bedar (AFP/Getty)
Flames burn on a hillside during a wildfire near Bedar (AFP/Getty)

The bodies of another four British victims were found in a burnt-out car.

Of the 13 victims, eight were women and five were men.

Regional authorities initially believed 23 people were missing, but they have all since been accounted for.

On Sunday, it was reported that two British hikers had been found alive but badly burned.

The man and woman are thought to have suffered 40 per cent burns, according to the Spanish national broadcaster, RTVE.

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

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.”

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

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

Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

Meanwhile, French firefighters have brought a forest fire under control in the Fontainebleau area, south of Paris.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with all those impacted by the devastating wildfires in Spain.

“We are supporting British nationals affected and their families and remain in close contact with the Spanish authorities.”

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