The 13 people killed in the devastating Almeria wildfire have all been formally identified.

It brings to a close one of the most complex forensic investigations ever carried out following a forest fire in Spain.

The Integrated Data Centre (CID) confirmed on Wednesday that the identities of the final three victims had been verified through DNA analysis.

The identifications have been approved by the Court of First Instance in Vera and all families have now been officially informed.

The final death toll remains at 13, with 12 victims found at the scene of the wildfire and one 93-year-old British woman who later died in hospital from injuries sustained in the blaze.

Victims came from five different countries

Authorities confirmed the victims include seven British nationals, three Belgian, one French, one US and and one Spanish citizen.

The victims comprised eight women and five men, all adults.

DNA was the only way to identify the victims

Because of the condition in which the bodies were recovered, investigators relied entirely on DNA analysis to establish their identities.

Specialists from the Guardia Civil’s Criminalistics Service extracted genetic profiles from the 12 bodies recovered from the fire zone, while biological samples supplied by relatives – with assistance from the British, Belgian, French and US consulates – allowed forensic teams to make the final matches.

The official notifications were delivered in person by Guardia Civil officers accompanied by psychologists to support the victims’ relatives.

Largest loss of life in a Spanish wildfire

The completion of the identification process marks the end of the forensic phase of what has become the deadliest forest fire in Spain’s modern history.

Attention will now increasingly turn to the judicial investigation into how the tragedy unfolded and whether any lessons can be learned to prevent a similar catastrophe in the future.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.