At least 26 people have died in forest fires currently raging in Algeria, the Algerian Minister of the Interior said on Wednesday. Dozens of others have also been injured.
The fatalities occurred in the eastern towns of Setif (two dead) and El Tarf (24 dead), near the border with Tunisia. There are currently about 39 fires in 14 prefectures.
Footage from local media showed hundreds of families forced to leave their homes. The civil defense service spoke of several people with severe burns and breathing problems.
About 106 fires have broken out in Algeria since the beginning of August, resulting in the loss of 800 hectares of forest and 1,800 hectares of firewood. At least 30 people have died so far this summer.
Every year, the north of the country is severely affected by fires, but in recent years the phenomenon has become more frequent due to global warming.
