Algeria hit by multiple fires, 12 people killed

Twelve people have died as a result of fires affecting several provinces in Algeria, Interior Minister Said Sayoud said on Thursday. “Twelve deaths have been recorded across the country. Five people in Jijel Province, three in Tizi Ouzou, and four in Bejaia,” Sayoud told reporters during a visit to Bejaia Province. Sayoud added that unstable weather conditions and strong winds made it difficult to use firefighting aircraft effectively. More than 70 per cent of the fires have been brought under control, while efforts to extinguish the remaining hotspots are still ongoing, Sayoud said. Meanwhile, Algeria’s Civil Protection Agency said 118 of the 182 fires reported in various parts of the country had been successfully extinguished. All available human resources and equipment have been deployed to fight the fires. According to Algeria’s Interior Ministry, six people died in forest fires that hit several parts of the country last July.