Key facts
- A 93-year-old British woman died from burn injuries sustained in a Spanish wildfire.
- The death brings the total number of fatalities to 13.
- Six victims have been identified, including a married couple from Spain and Britain, a British man and woman, a French woman, and a Belgian man.
- The wildfire scorched approximately 7,000 hectares.
- Authorities are working with consular services to identify the remaining six victims and missing persons.
Six victims of one of Spain's deadliest wildfires on record have been identified, authorities said, as forensic teams continue efforts to confirm the identities of six others through DNA analysis. The victims include a married couple from Spain and Britain, a British man and woman, a French woman, and a Belgian man. A seventh identified victim was a 93-year-old British woman, who died in hospital on Sunday from burn injuries, bringing the death toll to 13. Seven other people were injured in the blaze, which has scorched about 7,000 hectares (17,300 acres).
Spain and much of Southern Europe face increasingly severe wildfire seasons that scientists have linked to climate change. Experts say unusually heavy spring rainfall this year spurred vegetation growth across parts of southern Spain, creating abundant fuel that later dried out in extreme summer heat, helping the fire spread rapidly.
Officials expect the remaining six victims to be identified in the coming days after relatives provided biological samples, with assistance from Belgian, British and French consular authorities. Authorities say 10 people are still missing, although some of those could be among the bodies not yet identified. Investigators said DNA analysis remains the only viable primary identification method because of the condition of the remains.
Andalusia's regional government lowered the wildfire alert to the pre-emergency phase after the blaze was stabilized, evacuation orders lifted and residents were allowed to return to their homes.