Algeria: at least 26 dead in forest fires in the north of the country
With climate change, Algeria is increasingly facing deadly forest fires every summer.
(illustration photo) AP - Toufik Doudou
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
The latest assessment of the fires ravaging northern Algeria is heavy.
According to information released by the Ministry of the Interior, Wednesday August 17, 26 people died in the forest fires that have been raging for several days.
Several dozen other people were also injured.
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Kamel Beldjoud spoke during the 8 p.m. (7 p.m. UT) television news on Wednesday August 17.
The Algerian Interior Minister spoke about the forest fires that affected 14 departments in northern Algeria.
The latest report, unveiled by the minister, reports 26 deaths.
“
26 people died: two in Sétif and 24 in El Tarf
”, near the border with Tunisia, declared Kamel Beldjoud.
Several people suffer from burns or breathing difficulties but no new figures have been given on the number of injured.
A previous report from civil protection reported four people burned to varying degrees and 41 others suffering from breathing difficulties in Souk Ahras, another town bordering Tunisia.
Impressive images show residents of this city fleeing their homes in the face of flames.
According to local media, more than 350 families have fled their homes in Souk Ahras.
The gendarmerie closed several roads because of the fires.
“Some of these fires are caused”
The gendarmerie closed several roads because of the fires.
“
39 fires in 14 wilayas (prefectures) are in progress
”, indicated the civil protection, specifying that the wilaya of El Tarf records the greatest number of fires with 16 fires, including a good number still in progress.
Water bomber helicopters intervened in three prefectures, including Souk Ahras.
Since the beginning of August, 106 fires have broken out destroying 800 hectares of forest and 1,800 hectares of coppice, said the Minister of the Interior.
“
Some of these fires are caused
,” said Kamel Beldjoud.
With the 26 dead on August 17, the toll for the summer of 2022 climbs to 30 dead.
Each year, Algeria is affected by forest fires, but this phenomenon is accentuated from year to year, also under the effect of climate change.
The summer of 2021 was the deadliest
with at least 90 dead in forest fires, which ravaged the north of the country where more than 100,000 hectares of coppice went up in smoke.
(
With AFP
)
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Algeria
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