The death toll from the fire that broke out late on Thursday in Andalusia, in southern Spain, has risen to 13, including possibly three Belgian nationals.
The Andalusian regional government announced on Sunday that that death toll had risen, following the death of a British woman in her nineties who was being treated in hospital in Almería.
“The 93-year-old British woman being treated at Torrecárdenas University Hospital after being injured in the Los Gallardos forest fire died this afternoon,” the Andalusian government said in a brief statement.
Andalusia’s emergency services also shared the news and offered their condolences to the victim’s loved ones.
Prior to this latest death, 12 people of various nationalities had already lost their lives in the blaze, including a 63-year-old Belgian man.
The Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Sunday that it believes that three of its citizens may have been among the victims of this fire, which has already burnt more than 6,500 hectares.
"Official confirmation from the Spanish authorities could take a few days’ as it requires examinations of the bodies that have been found", a statement from the foreign ministry adds.
A British couple out hiking were rescued from the flames by the Spanish Civil Guard, Spanish public radio and television reported on Sunday.
The woman and man have suffered burns to around 40% of their bodies. Responding to calls from their rescuers searching for survivors "required a tremendous effort on their part", noted military officer Rafael Zea, who was taking part in the search.
The military police had already searched the area where the couple were found during the night, but their officers decided to check "one last time". The condition of the two victims is serious, but their lives are no longer in danger.
The authorities remain cautious regarding the number of missing persons, pending the results of post-mortem examinations and the identification of the bodies found.
Some 1,500 people had to be evacuated, of whom around 600 were able to return home after a day of favourable conditions on Saturday.
The fire has been contained since late Sunday morning.
