Forest fires kill 15 in Algeria

By Hassan Jibril

ALGIERS, Algeria (AA) – At least 15 people were killed and 26 injured in a series of devastating forest fires that swept through several states in northern Algeria, said Interior Ministry on Monday.

In a statement, the ministry said that 97 fires were recorded late Sunday and they affected forests and agricultural crops in 16 provinces.

It noted that the blaze spread to some villages.

The ministry said it registered "15 victims and 26 injured, while 1,500 citizens were evacuated."

To combat the flames, a team of around 7,500 civil protection personnel has been deployed. They are utilizing 350 trucks of various sizes, along with aerial support, to extinguish the fires and bring the situation under control, the ministry said.

As of now, firefighting efforts have successfully contained fires in the provinces of Boumerdes, Bouira, Tizi Ouzou, Bejaia, Jijel, and Skikda.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat