Algeria: Fires are bad, 69 including soldiers kille
AFRICA NEWS24 TV
69 people, including 28 soldiers, have been killed in wildfires in about 100 areas across Algeria.
In 17 Algerian provinces, fires were reported at more than 100 places, according to the APS news agency, on Tuesday evening.
The blaze was exacerbated by deforestation in the eastern part of the capital, Algers.
Photos and videos circulated on social media show that the tongues of fire are being intensified by the wind and are becoming more widespread in the forests.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has expressed his condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones, including soldiers, who were trying to rescue civilians in the Bejaiea and Tizi Ouzou areas, which have been hit by the blaze.
The Minister of Security, Kamel Beldjoud, said the work was started by volunteers who have a purpose because it is unclear how the 50 fires could start at once.
State media in the country have reported that some people have already been identified as the perpetrators of the fires.
This is not the first time such crimes have been reported in Algeria in a few years.
Last month, President Tebboune ordered the imposition of a penal code banning forest firefighters where the offense could be punishable by up to 30 years in prison and possibly life imprisonment in the event of a fire.
These days countries including Greece, Turkey and the Czech Republic have been hit by extreme heat. This has also been the case in Western countries in the United States
Meteorologists also forecast temperatures in Algeria at 46 degrees on Wednesday. The country is also plagued by water shortages.
eastafricanreport.com
