At least 38 people have died as a result of wildfires raging in the north and east of the region. Algeria.

Thirty people died in El Tarf, on the eastern edge of Algeria near the Tunisian border, five in Souq Ashras, two women in Setif and another in Guelma in the east, according to civil protection, journalists and the Ennahar TV channel. .

In addition, more than 200 people were injured, according to local media. On the way to El Qala, near El Tarf, a city of 100,000 people, “a fire tornado destroyed everything in a few seconds, most of the dead people were surrounded (by flames) while visiting the zoo,” he said. journalist.

Of the 39 fires that have broken out in 14 departments in northern Algeria, some are still raging today, with authorities fearing new fronts from high winds.

Fire helicopters operate in many cities. Meanwhile, Algeria has chartered a Russian Beriev BE 200 firefighting aircraft, but after intervening on several fronts, it was damaged and was out of service as of Saturday, Algerian Interior Minister Kamel Beljoud said late Wednesday.

Algerian Prime Minister Ayman Benabderrahman traveled to El Tarf today. The police were forced to close several national roads due to fires.

In Souk Ahras, a major fire still rages today in the mountainous region of Jebel Oued Souk, a local journalist said. He spoke about the scenes of panic in this city of 500,000 people.

According to the journalist, 97 women and 17 newborn babies were forced to leave the clinic, located near the site of the fire, and footage from TV networks showed how residents were fleeing from houses engulfed in flames, women holding hands of their children. More than 350 families were forced to leave their homes.

Forest fires break out in the north of Algeria every year, but this year the phenomenon has been exacerbated by climate change. Yesterday the temperature in El Tarf, Guelm and the Ahras Bazaar reached 48 degrees Celsius.

Last summer was the deadliest in nearly 60 years, with at least 90 people killed in wildfires in northern Algeria and more than 1,000,000 hectares burned.

Climate change has caused an increase in heat and drought events and consequent fires. Since the beginning of August this year, 106 fires have occurred in Algeria, which have destroyed 26,000 hectares, the Interior Ministry said.

^{According to AFP, APE-MPE}