The Algerian government has declared three days of national mourning after wildfires killed at least 12 people and injured dozens across parts of the country.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced the mourning period on Thursday, August 27, following the deaths recorded in the northeastern provinces of Jijel, Béjaïa and Tizi Ouzou.
According to Algeria’s official news agency, APS, the national mourning began on Thursday, with flags to be flown at half-mast across the country. National celebrations and sports competitions scheduled during the mourning period were also cancelled.
The Interior Minister, Said Sayoud, said five people were killed in Jijel, four in Béjaïa and three in Tizi Ouzou. He also said 54 people were receiving treatment in hospital for burns, with six of them in serious condition.
The wildfires have continued to spread across parts of northern Algeria, with firefighters working to bring the flames under control.
Algeria’s Civil Protection said 193 fires were recorded across the country within 24 hours, with 46 still burning as of Thursday morning. Several families were also evacuated from areas where the fires came close to homes.
Three major roads in the east of the country were closed because of fires around Béjaïa, Jijel and Sétif, according to the gendarmerie.
The latest fires come after Algeria experienced a major wave of wildfires earlier in the summer. Authorities said nearly 1,460 fires had been recorded nationwide between July 1 and July 21, while more than 3,700 fires had been recorded since May.
Wildfires are common in northern Algeria during the summer, but high temperatures and dry conditions have increased the risk and intensity of the fires.
The country also suffered a deadly wildfire outbreak in July 2023, when at least 34 people, including 10 soldiers, were killed and about 1,500 people were evacuated as fires spread across several northern provinces.
As firefighters continue efforts to control the latest fires, the Algerian government has begun its three-day national mourning in honour of those who lost their lives.
