At least 12 people have been killed and 54 others injured as wildfires ravaged northeastern Algeria, Interior Minister Said Sayoud said on Wednesday. Authorities evacuated dozens of families from the hardest-hit areas.
Deaths and injuries reported in three provinces
Sayoud said five deaths occurred in Jijel province, four in Bejaia and three in Tizi Ouzou. He gave the figures during a visit to a hospital in Souk El Thenine, Bejaia, where victims were receiving treatment for burns and smoke inhalation.
The Algeria Press Service reported that 54 burn cases were recorded at the hospital, including six patients in critical condition.
Firefighting operations remain active
Civil Protection teams recorded 154 fire outbreaks across Algeria on Wednesday. Bejaia accounted for 36 of them, with 18 brought under control, while 18 hotspots remained active in the province.
Sayoud said fires had been contained in Skikda, El Tarf, Bouira, Tizi Ouzou and Tebessa. In Jijel, fires were still burning in 12 municipalities. Regional images showed residents taking refuge in a post office amid thick smoke.
Heatwave adds to fire danger
The fires came as a severe heatwave moved across Algeria and neighbouring Tunisia. Algeria regularly faces deadly seasonal wildfires during the peak summer months, and at least six people were killed in fires last month.
Intense heatwaves and strong winds have increased fire risks along Algeria’s forested Mediterranean coastline, with drought and climate change identified as factors that can worsen the disasters.
What happens next
Firefighting and containment operations were still under way in Bejaia and Jijel, while authorities continued treating injured people and evacuating families from affected areas.
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