Spanish Wildfires in Almeria Kill 13, Authorities Confirm Deaths and Missing
Tragic Impact and Ongoing Response to Almeria Wildfires
By Sergio Leon and Aislinn Laing
Death Toll Rises Amidst Widespread Destruction
LOS GALLARDOS, July 12 (Reuters) - A British woman has died of injuries sustained in wildfires that swept through Spain's southeastern Almeria province starting on Thursday, bringing the total number killed to 13, the regional government said on Sunday night.
The woman, 93, was among eight people admitted to hospital following the fire, four of them with serious injuries.
Victim Details and Official Statements
The Andalusian regional government said in a statement that the woman, who had pre-existing medical conditions, had been admitted to the emergency room in the early hours of Friday morning with burns covering 20% of her body.
Regional emergency chief Antonio Sanz expressed condolences to the family of the woman and others killed in one of Spain's deadliest-ever wildfires, which burned more than 7,000 hectares (17,300 acres) in the Los Gallardos municipality.
Missing Persons and International Cooperation
Spain's forensic services data unit, the CID, said on Sunday night that two more people had been reported missing after it started working with authorities in France, Britain and Belgium to formally register their cases, bringing the total to 10.
Efforts to Identify the Missing
The CID said in a statement it was now allowing family members overseas to report their loved ones missing and provide DNA samples in their countries of origin, and it expected to receive more reports in the coming days.
Authorities have not formally identified the dead, which may include some of the individuals reported as missing.
International Victims
The Belgian government said on Sunday it believed there were three Belgian nationals among the victims of the Los Gallardos fires.
One of those was 63-year-old Belgian businessman Stanislas Verdonckt, whose son, Belgian virologist Thomas-Wolf Verdonckt, said he was last in contact with his father by phone just before 9 p.m. (1900 GMT) on Thursday evening.
Evacuation, Containment, and Community Response
Escape Attempts and Official Advice
Verdonckt told Reuters that his father and his father's neighbours received no warning or advice from the authorities and opted to try to escape on foot when the flames were almost upon them. The Andalusian regional government said the local mayor had advised the group to shelter in place.
Fire Containment and Return of Residents
The president of the regional government of Andalusia, Juanma Moreno, posted on social media at midday on Sunday that the fire had been contained and its perimeter secured.
More than 1,000 residents were given the all clear to return to their homes in the evacuated villages north of Los Gallardos on Sunday afternoon.
Ongoing Risks and Community Resilience
Moreno urged citizens to remain vigilant throughout the summer, noting that in Andalusia, Spain's most populous region, an average of 15 forest fires were breaking out every day, rising at times to as many as 22.
An Iranian-born British man, Cameron Karoonian, 72, said he hoped he still had a home to go to. "And then we just need to go and pick up where we left, really," he said. "Get on living and find the cats, make sure they're okay and put it behind us, really."
(Reporting by Sergio Leon, Michael Gore and Nina Lopez; Writing by Aislinn Laing; Editing by Edmund Klamann)
