At least 12 people have died and more than 50 wounded in a series of wildfires that have swept across northern Algeria.
Sixty‑nine blazes were reported nationwide, with major fire activity in the provinces of Jijel, Bejaia and Tizi Ouzou amid a severe heatwave that has been documented by the World Meteorological Organization.
Interior Minister Said Sayoud confirmed the death toll and said six of the injured were in intensive care as firefighting teams responded from both civilian and military units.
Local evacuations have taken place in Bejaia and Jijel, with residents forced to flee their homes and, in some cases, take refuge in public buildings such as post offices.
Officials have dispatched health and emergency workers to provide medical care while the civil protection authorities continue to contain the fires, which previously caused large casualties in the region three years ago.
Climate change has intensified the heat conditions that worsen the intensity and spread of these wildfires, a trend that continues to raise alarms in North Africa.
