A FIFTH Brit has been identified among the victims of Spain’s horror wildfires as a British couple rescued from the inferno remain fighting for their lives.
Authorities in Almeria confirmed on Monday that a British national and a Belgian couple were the latest victims identified after the .
Simon Batchelor and Lisa Fryett, from Canvey, Essex, are fighting for their lives in hospital Credit: Jam Press/GoFundMe
The wildfires ripped through Almeria and claimed at least 13 lives
Last week’s devastating wildfires have now claimed 13 lives in the Andalusian expat hotspot, with five of the confirmed victims British.
Three are Belgian, one is French and one is Spanish.
Officials also revealed on Monday that a 93-year-old British woman died after being rushed to hospital with burns covering 20 per cent of her body.
Ten people are still missing, according to Spain’s forensic services data unit, the CID.
Some of those feared missing could be among bodies yet to be identified following Spain’s deadliest wildfire in more than four decades.
Investigators said testing is the only way to identify many of the victims because of the horrific condition of the remains.
Among those clinging to life are Simon Batchelor and Lisa Fryett, from Canvey, Essex.
The couple were staying near Bédar and Los Gallardos when the terrifying blaze erupted.
They were dramatically rescued from a mountainside the day after the fire started.
Both remain in a critical condition in a Spanish hospital.
Despite suffering devastating injuries, Simon and Lisa reportedly begged rescuers to save them so they could see their children again.
All three of their children have since travelled to to be by their parents’ bedside.
The couple were staying near Bédar and Los Gallardos when the terrifying blaze erupted Credit: Jam Press/GoFundMe
The blackened husk of a burned down building in Spain
A appeal has now raised more than £46,000 to help cover emergency travel, accommodation and other costs.
The fundraiser states: “Our family is asking for your help during the most heartbreaking time of our lives.
“Simon and Lisa were staying near Bédar, Los Gallardos, Spain, when tragedy struck.
“A devastating wildfire swept through the area, leaving them fighting for their lives.
“They were rescued from the mountainside the following day and are now both in critical condition in a hospital in Spain.
“When they were found, despite their devastating injuries, Simon and Lisa pleaded with their rescuers to save them because they wanted to see their children again.”
The latest tragedy comes after British couple .
The pair lived in Bédar, the village at the epicentre of the fast-moving inferno.
The latest tragedy comes after British couple Pete and Fran Gillam were confirmed among the dead
Two people walking through the devastated wasteland left behind after the deadly blazeCredit: reuters
Their daughter Danielle Gillam-Kirton lost contact with them after her mum sent a final text saying they were evacuating.
Calls then failed to connect and the cops later confirmed the couple had died.
Another into the flames.
Malcolm Timbrell, 70, survived by sheltering inside a car after his home in Bédar was engulfed.
His wife, Annette Kilgore, 69, is feared to have died.
The couple had bought the property after finding it on Channel 4’s A Place in the Sun.
Malcom told the BBC he and Annette had seconds to escape as flames raced towards their hilltop home.
Malcolm ran back to save their cats, Charlie and Lilly as flames tore across the land at around 20km/h.
Malcolm Timbrell, 70, and his wife Annette Kilgore, 69, Credit: BBC News
He said: “If we’d have done the sensible thing and gone the other way and let our cats die, we both would be alive.
The bodies of eight people were later found on a nearby path.
Malcolm is still waiting for DNA tests to confirm their identities.
Four bodies discovered inside the burnt-out shell of a right-hand-drive Accord are also believed to be British.
The vehicle was found on what has been described as a deadly “trap” route in Los Gallardos.
The wildfires have burned more than 16,000 acres and forced 1,448 people from their .
More than 7,000 hectares were destroyed after the blaze erupted on Thursday.
Andalusian president Juanma Moreno said on Sunday the fire had finally been contained and its perimeter secured.
More than 1,000 evacuated residents have now been allowed to return home.
The wildfire alert has also been lowered to the pre-emergency level.
The Foreign Office said: “Our thoughts are with all those impacted by the devastating wildfires in Spain. We are supporting British nationals affected and their families and remain in close contact with the Spanish authorities.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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