A British couple have been found badly burned and semi-conscious at the bottom of a ravine after being caught in the deadly Spanish wildfires that have now killed 13 people, including a 93-year-old British woman.
The pair were discovered by Civil Guard officers searching for survivors near the village of Bédar in Almería province. Sgt Pedro Barre said they heard distant cries for help. “As you gain more experience, something inside you tells you, ‘Look again, try one more time,’” he told Spain’s TVE state broadcaster. The rescue team followed the sound and climbed down a hillside, finding the couple in critical condition with severe burns covering 40% of their bodies. “Being able to call out in the condition they were in was a titanic effort,” said officer Rafael Zea. The couple were airlifted to hospital in a two-hour operation and remain in intensive care. Rescuer Manuel Moyanao said: “It was unbelievable that there could be any life left there.”
“British couple found alive with 40% burns in Spain wildfire ravine, as death toll reaches 13.”
The wildfires, which began on Thursday when a power line broke and sparked a fire in a ditch, were driven by 30mph winds across 10 miles of scrubland in just two hours. The blaze has burned around 7,000 hectares and forced the evacuation of at least 1,400 people. On Sunday, Andalusia’s regional government head, Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, said the fire had been contained and the alert downgraded.
Among the dead is a 93-year-old British woman who died in Torrecardenas University Hospital after suffering 20% burns; she is believed to have had underlying health conditions. Another British man died while on the phone to his wife, Penelope Howe told The Times. “He had got the cats and was trapped in the car. They were speaking together for the last few minutes,” she said. Four other victims found in a right-hand drive vehicle are believed to be British. At least 23 people remain missing, and officials say the death toll could rise. DNA tests are under way in Madrid to identify the victims.
Some relatives have criticised the authorities’ response. Belgian virologist Thomas-Wolf Verdonckt told Reuters his father Stanislas, one of eight victims found in a valley near Bédar, was not warned to flee. “They only started to run when the flames were almost upon them,” he said. Spanish authorities have claimed many of the dead ignored official advice.
