Saudi Arabia expresses solidarity with Algeria after deadly wildfires

At least 12 individuals have lost their lives and 54 were injured following wildfires that swept through parts of northeastern Algeria, according to an official. Authorities have evacuated numerous families from the most severely affected regions. Interior Minister Said Sayoud disclosed the fatalities during a press conference on Wednesday, stating that the deaths transpired in the provinces of Jijel, Bejaia, and Tizi Ouzou.

He elaborated, “Five deaths were recorded in the prefecture of Jijel, four in that of Bejaia and three in that of Tizi Ouzou.” Sayoud offered his assessment in person at a hospital in Souk El Thenine, Bejaia, where 54 patients had sustained burn injuries and smoke inhalation, six of them in critical condition. The official Algeria Press Service reported that Civil Protection teams documented 154 fires across the nation on Wednesday, with 36 occurring in Bejaia province, of which 18 had been extinguished.

The blazes are occurring amid a severe heatwave that is sweeping across Algeria and neighboring Tunisia. Sayoud informed reporters that firefighting teams have managed to subdue the fires in Skikda, El Tarf, Bouira, Tizi Ouzou, and Tebessa provinces. However, operations were still underway in Bejaia, where 18 hotspots remained active, and in Jijel, where fires were active in 12 municipalities.

He also mentioned that dozens of families had been evacuated from fire-affected areas. Images broadcast by regional news outlet Jijel News depicted residents taking refuge in a post office amidst thick smoke. Algeria is no stranger to deadly seasonal wildfires during the height of summer. In the previous month alone, at least six people had been killed in such fires.

In recent years, intense heatwaves and powerful winds have intensified fire risks across the country’s forested Mediterranean coastline, disasters that have been exacerbated by drought and climate change.