In some parts of northern Algeria, wildfires are still raging and have already claimed the lives of at least 37 people and injured dozens more.
Residents of 14 provinces in Algeria were devastated by fires on Wednesday; they have previously voiced complaints about the lack of government help and preparedness during the country’s annual and deadly wildfire season.
34 persons were discovered dead in El Tarf governorate, which is close to the northern Algerian-Tunisian border, where the majority of the victims were reported. A family of five found dead in their home was among the fatalities, as were eight passengers on a public bus whose driver was caught off guard by flames as the vehicle was moving through a mountainous area.
According to Prime Minister Amene Benabderrahmane, “the majority of the victims in El Tarf are tourists who came to enjoy paradisiac beaches and beautiful landscapes.”
On Thursday, he and several other government officials came in El Tarf. The Algerian government, according to the prime minister, would assist the relatives of the victims, pay for renovations, and provide compensation for the loss of livestock and beehives. The farming sector in the area is also well-known.
South of El Tarf, at Souk Ahras, one person passed away. Approximately 300 kilometers (185 miles) east of Algiers, the capital of the North African country, in the district of Setif, two further persons perished.
According to various Algerian media, at least 200 more persons have sustained burns or breathing issues.
People fleeing their burning homes were depicted on Algerian television, with women holding children in their arms.
Additionally, there were reports of 350 residents being evacuated by local media in the Souk Ahras region, which borders Tunisia.
On Thursday afternoon, the fire department said that 1,700 firefighters had been sent to attack the flames, 24 of which were still burning.
The Interior Minister of Algeria, Kamel Beldjoud, had said that 39 fires started in 14 different districts on Wednesday alone, and that 3,200 hectares (more than 12 square miles) of forests and brush have been destroyed by fires since the month of August began.
The incident underlined the common complaint that Algiers has not made sufficient investments in firefighting technology, notably specialized aircraft, necessitating its need for assistance from the international community.
Algeria pleaded for the EU to send water bomber planes to fight the devastating flames in 2021 while it was already concerned with fires in Greece and Turkey.
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