Seven Britons now dead in devastating Spain wildfires as loved ones issue heartbreaking tributes
Spanish authorities have confirmed that seven Britons were among those killed in the country's devastating wildfires as their loved ones issued heartbreaking tributes.
Foreign nationals made up 12 of the 13 victims who died in the blazes across the south of the country, Spanish officials said after carrying out postmortem examinations.
They confirmed that seven Britons were killed alongside three Belgians, one American and one French national.
The fires, which ripped through Spain's Almeria region on Thursday, are considered to be the country's worst in more than two decades.
The public body responsible for identifying the victims said: “The 13 people who died are eight women and five men, all adults."
Pete and Fran Gillam were among the Britons killed, with the couple living in the village of Bedar.
Their deaths were confirmed on social media by their family.
Their daughter, Danielle Gillam-Kirton, from Sheffield, wrote: “We are heartbroken to share that we have received confirmation from the police that Mum and Dad did not survive the fire.
"Thank you for all your love, support and prayers over the past few days. They have meant more to us than we can ever express.”
The village of Bedar bore the brunt of the wildfires, with burnt-out cars seen scattered across roads after the blaze.
Spanish authorities confirmed that a number of the victims died while attempting to flee the village by car.
Penelope Howe, 54, said that her friend's husband met a similar fate after his vehicle caught fire as he attempted to evacuate the Los Gallardos area of Almeria.
The village of Bedar bore the brunt of the wildfires, with burnt-out cars seen scattered across roads after the blaze
Lucinda Curtois, who had been holidaying in the area with her family, told the BBC: "It was almost like there was a mushroom cloud of smoke. It was like a bomb had gone off."
In a chilling witness account, Ms Curtois said she saw two Britons disappear into the fires, and now fears that is where they died.
Emergency services were forced to take DNA samples from 12 of the bodies recovered to identify victims due to the condition they were discovered in.
Andalusian Regional President Juanma Moreno said the wildfires were caused by a downed power cable, which has been disputed by the power company apparently at fault.
The flames burned some 17,300 acres of land after being fanned by strong winds, destroying large areas of forest and dry scrubland.
Spain has been hit with a number of severe heatwaves in recent years, with temperatures often soaring above 40C.
Last year was the country's worst year for wildfires in over three decades, with more than 39,000 acres burned across the Iberian nation.
A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office previously confirmed it was "supporting British nationals affected and their families and remain in close contact with the Spanish authorities".