30.4 C
Accra
Monday, December 23, 2024
WorldAlgeria forest fires: At least 38 dead

Date:

Algeria forest fires: At least 38 dead

At least 38 people have been killed and dozens more injured in forest fires that have devastated northern Algeria.

Kamel Beldjoud, the country’s interior minister, said 24 people died in El Tarf, near the border with Tunisia, as well as a mother and daughter in Setif.

Local media said at least 200 others have suffered burns and respiratory problems.

Firefighters, supported by helicopters, were still trying to contain several blazes on Thursday morning.

The names of the mother, 58, and her 36-year-old daughter who died in Setif have not yet been released, but officials there said flames had reached dozens of homes and villages.

Officials said that some 39 fires were ravaging various parts of northern Algeria, and they warned that hot winds could spread the flames further.

The civil protection agency said that the city of El Tarf was the worst hit area with 16 fires currently burning.

And reports say some 350 residents have been evacuated in several provinces.

Northern Algeria is affected by forest fires every year, with Mr Beldjoud noting that 106 fires have broken out in Algeria since August, destroying 800 hectares of forest and 1,800 hectares of woodlands.

Some 90 people are thought to have died in fires last year- and more than 100,000 hectares of woodland was burnt.

Last August, Mr Beldjoud blamed a spate of fires in Algeria’s Kabyle region on arson, claiming “only criminal hands” could explain “the simultaneous outbreak of about 50 fires across several localities”.

Thursday’s toll brings the total number of Algerians killed in wildfires this summer up to 42.

The latest blazes come during a summer which has seen a number of countries in the Mediterranean region ravaged by wildfires – particularly in Europe, with France, Greece, Portugal, Spain and Italy all affected.

Scorched mountain sides and tress in Tizi Ouzou, northern Algeria, caused by forest fires
Source: BBC
[forminator_poll id="710479"]

Latest stories

NPP to set up committee to review defeat in 2024 polls

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has revealed its intention...

We cannot release results with GHS25m – WAEC to govt

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has expressed frustration...

Govt misses T-bills target as interest rates near 30%

The government narrowly missed its treasury bills target as...

NPP issuing last-minute appointments to sabotage us – NDC

The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC),...

280 NPP members, including Cynthia Morrison expelled for violating party ethics

The Agona West Constituency of the New Patriotic Party...

Ruto expands cabinet to include more opposition to secure national unity

Kenya’s President William Ruto has brought more opposition leaders...

OB Amponsah makes history with 4,000-seat Comedy Show

Ghanaian optometrist and comedian OB Amponsah made history by...

Related stories

Biden grants full pardon to son Hunter amid criminal sentencing

US President Joe Biden has granted a full and...

Court issues 2-year suspended death sentence to former Bank of China Chair for bribery, others

Former Bank of China chairman Liu Liange on Tuesday received...

Ghanaians among UN peacekeepers injured in Southern Lebanon attacks

The UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon has reported...

Russia denies Trump told Putin to restrain Ukraine war efforts

The Kremlin has rejected media reports suggesting that US...

More than 100 detained as protesters defy Amsterdam’s ban on protests

Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested in Amsterdam on...

Traffic jam erupts as cyclists from Zhengzhou to Kaifeng for dumplings

A social media trend that began as a lighthearted...

Adin Ross wins $1.6m on Trump election bet after public endorsement

American streamer and social media influencer Adin Ross scored...