British man Malcolm Timbrell, 70, who lives in the village of Bédar and survived the fires, spoke to the BBC outside his destroyed home high on the hillside.

His wife and friends are believed to be among those killed during the wildfires.

Timbrell described the moment he was separated from the group, and attempted to take refuge in some abandoned cars: “Of the six cars, four of them instantly combusted and as each one started to go, I moved back one car.

“For some reason of fate, the last two cars, although very, very badly singed and paint bubbled and burnt, survived.

“And I survived inside the last one with a cat.”

Spain has suffered frequent and severe heatwaves in recent years, with temperatures often exceeding 40C.

The fire, which has now been contained, burned through about 7,000 hectares (17,300 acres) of land, authorities said.