At least twelve people have died in wildfires raging across multiple Algerian provinces, according to Interior Minister Said Sayoud, as a severe heatwave continues to grip North Africa.
The death toll includes five victims in Jijel province, four in Bejaia, and three in Tizi Ouzou.
Sayoud and Health Minister Mohamed Seddik Ait Messaoudene visited Bejaia to review firefighting efforts and evaluate the condition of those injured, the official news agency APS reported.
Authorities stated that 54 individuals sustained burn injuries, with six in critical condition currently receiving treatment in intensive care units.
Algeria’s civil protection services documented 154 wildfires nationwide on Wednesday alone. In Bejaia province, 36 fires were recorded, of which 18 had been brought under control.
Multiple families were evacuated from several provinces, including Bejaia and Jijel, as advancing flames threatened populated areas.
Images aired by regional news outlet Jijel News showed residents taking shelter in a post office while thick smoke filled the air.
Algeria has experienced recurrent wildfires throughout the summer months. Authorities reported at least six fatalities across several provinces last month.
Every year, northern Algeria faces devastating forest fires, a crisis exacerbated by prolonged drought and the intensifying effects of climate change.
In recent years, dozens of lives have been lost, thousands of hectares of forests and farmland have been consumed, and numerous homes destroyed by these recurring blazes.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)
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