Algeria is struggling to contain a large number of wildfires that have spread across several provinces, leaving 12 people dead and 54 others injured.
Authorities said that 64 fires were still active across 10 provinces on Friday, mainly in the eastern province of Jijel. Over the previous 24 hours, emergency services managed to extinguish 110 of the 174 fires reported across the country.
Jijel recorded the highest number of ongoing fires with 20, followed by Skikda with 14 and El Tarf with 10. Guelma, Annaba and Bejaia also reported several active fires, while smaller blazes continued in Bouira, Tebessa, Constantine and Mila.
Firefighters and emergency crews are using aircraft and helicopters to battle the flames and protect communities. Operations remain underway in several areas of Jijel as well as parts of Skikda, El Tarf and Annaba.
Interior Minister Said Sayoud said the fires, which began Wednesday, had claimed 12 lives, including five in Jijel, four in Bejaia and three in Tizi Ouzou. Another 54 people were injured, with six reported to be in critical condition.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced three days of national mourning for the victims, while Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb visited Jijel to monitor firefighting operations and meet injured people and affected residents.
The fires have occurred during an intense heat wave across North Africa. Algeria had previously warned that temperatures could reach 49°C in some provinces.
Civil Protection figures show that Algeria recorded around 4,000 fires between May 1 and July 20, compared with 1,501 during the same period last year, representing an increase of nearly 167%.
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