Algeria wildfires: 12 dead, over 50 injured in northeast

Wildfires raging in northeastern Algeria have claimed the lives of at least 12 people and left more than 50 others injured, some critically. The blazes have forced numerous residents to abandon their homes as flames encroached on populated areas.

In the city of Souk El Tenine, located in the Béjaïa province, 54 individuals were hospitalized with burns, according to Interior Minister Saïd Sayoud. Six of these patients are reported to be in serious condition. As of Thursday night, firefighters were battling 69 active fires across the region, with 18 concentrated in Béjaïa alone. Earlier in the day, a total of 154 fires had been reported.

The fires have disrupted transportation, with police closing three major roads in the northeast. The civil defense reported that residents fled homes threatened by thick smoke and flames, with some seeking refuge in a post office in Jijel, as reported by the online portal Jijel News.

Algeria frequently experiences wildfires during the summer months. Last July, over 30 people died in fires in the Béjaïa province. Climate change is contributing to more frequent and intense heatwaves and droughts, which dry out vegetation and create conditions ripe for fires. Neighboring Tunisia is also currently experiencing extreme temperatures.

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Twelve people have died in wildfires in the northeast of Algeria, and more than 50 people have been injured, some seriously. Numerous residents had to leave their homes.