Algiers: Forest fires in Algeria killed 42 people on Tuesday, including 25 soldiers deployed to help extinguish the fire, the government said, because thick smoke clouds covered most of the Kabylie regions with mountains in the east of the capital.
Dozens of separate fires have raged through forest areas in northern Algeria since Monday night and interior ministers, Kamel Beldjoud, accused the burning of calling for the flame, without providing further details on charges.
“Only criminal hands can be behind the simultaneous outbreak of around 50 fires in several regions,” he said.
Last week, a European Union atmosphere monitor said the Mediterranean had become a wildfire hotspot when a massive blazes swallowed forests in Turkey and Greece, assisted by the Heatwave.
Residents of Tizi Ouzou Region in Kabylie used tree branches to try to instill burning forest patches or threw water from plastic containers in a desperate effort to extinguish the fire.
The soldiers were killed in different areas, a few while trying to extinguish the fire and others after they were cut off by the fire spread, said the residents of Kabylie.
The Ministry of Defense said more soldiers were seriously injured with burns.
Some houses caught fire when the family fled to the hotel, a youth hostel and a place of university residence, the witness said, added that heavy smoke inhibits the visibility of the fire crew.
“We have a horror night.
My house is really burned,” said Mohamed Kaci, who had escaped with his family from Azazga to a hotel.
Speaking on television state on Tuesday night, Prime Minister, Ayman Benabderrahmane, said that the dead had increased to 42, including 25 military members.
The government is in “advanced talks with partners to rent aircraft and help speed up the fire outage process,” he added.
Firefighters and soldiers are still trying to load Blazes, and Beldjoud says the priority is to avoid more victims.
He vowed to compensate for those affected.
A smaller fire has damaged the forest in at least 16 provinces in the North African country since Monday night.