Almeria fire: DNA tests identify nine of the 12 bodies

Los Gallardos fire

The identified victims were of Spanish, British, Belgian and French nationality

Miguel Cárceles

Almería

The painstaking task of identifying the 12 bodies found following the fire in Los Gallardos (Almeria) took a giant leap forward on Monday. The ... court has identified nine of the victims.

Given the severity of the incident, DNA analysis is proving to be the only viable method of identification. The process is progressing rapidly thanks to biological samples from relatives, provided by the consulates of the countries concerned.

The Guardia Civil, accompanied by psychologists, are already notifying in person the families of the victims who have been identified.

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• Almeria fire

  • a 93-year-old British woman who died at the hospital from severe burns covering 20 per cent of her body. IDEAL has been able to ascertain the identities of some of the deceased thanks to the explicit disclosure by their relatives: lives cut short by the flames that will remain forever linked to the land they chose to call home.

    Stanislas Verdonckt: The photographer in love with the Almeria mountains

    Stanislas Verdonckt lived in Bédar. His house was in an idyllic spot, El Curato, where you could shout and no one would hear you. Surrounded by the rolling hills of the mountains, this idyllic landscape drew Stanislas Verdonckt to Almeria.

    "He was an intelligent and analytical man, an experienced photographer and hiker who knew the terrain of the Bédar and Almeria mountains inside out," his son, Belgian virologist Thomas-Wolf Verdonckt, told SUR following his arrival in Spain.

    Verdonckt, 63, was a lover of black-and-white photography. He had a website and an Instagram account, where he showcased his fantastic work, which reflected a distinctive way of seeing the world: serene, peaceful, perceptive yet sensitive.

    Stéphanie Navarro: The maths teacher who spent her summers in Bédar

    Stéphanie Navarro had been visiting Bédar for years. Her husband, Jérôme, had family roots in the village. Year after year, they would come from Provence, where they lived.

    According to the French media, she worked as a maths teacher at the Maria Rivier school, a large religious school in Sorgues, a few kilometres from her home in Vaucluse and the idyllic city of Avignon.

    Her disappearance was followed with great concern by the educational community because Navarro was much loved by her pupils. Her colleagues in France described her as "kind and professional".

    Upon seeing the fire, her husband urged her to leave the house as quickly as possible and leave everything behind. At that very moment, the flames engulfed her, leaving her with no chance of escape. Speaking to TF1, a French state-run television channel, her husband said that nobody had warned them.

    Pete Gillam: The grandfather who put down roots in southeastern Spain

    Pete Gillam was, above all else, a man devoted to his family. His life was guided by an unconditional love for his wife, Fran, with whom he walked hand in hand until his very last breath, and by an infinite and protective love for his children.

    Photos his family have shared on social media capture the vitality and joy he enjoyed in Spain. Those pictures capture the essence of Pete: a devoted grandfather, enjoying the sunshine, the tranquillity of his holidays and the joyful bustle of his grandchildren, who were his greatest pride.

    Fate decreed that Pete and Fran would not be separated, as they perished together in the tragic fire that cut short their lives. Left behind is the immense grief of their children, who, from that Thursday when the disaster struck, endured hours of desperate and agonising searching in the hope of finding them.

    Fran Gillam: A lover of painting and her wonderful village

    Fran Gillam was a woman with a radiant spirit, whose life was deeply intertwined with the beauty and light of the landscapes of Almeria. Her great passion was Bédar, that corner she felt so at home in and from where she would proudly share images of its whitewashed houses and blue doors: a haven surrounded by nature and serenity.

    Her love for the province also found expression in the blue of the sea at her flat in Pozo del Esparto, striking the perfect balance between the tranquillity of the mountains and the murmur of the Mediterranean.

    Fran captured her chosen home on canvas with delicate skill. She possessed a natural gift for painting. With a self-taught, modern and vibrant style, she managed to capture the essence of Spanish landscapes bursting with colour.

    Her children announced on Monday that they had received the worst possible call from the Guardia Civil.

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