Devastating Fires in Algeria Claim 34 Lives, Leaving Destruction in Their Wake
Algeria battles severe fires, with a death toll of 34, as firefighters struggle to control the devastating blaze that has left homes and forests destroyed. Meanwhile, Tunisians protest against President Saied's consolidation of power and demand the release of detained opposition figures.
Algerian firefighters continue to battle raging fires that have devastated the north of the country, leaving 34 people dead and causing widespread destruction.
Witnesses described walls of flames that resembled blowtorches, as homes, coastal resorts, and vast forest areas were reduced to blackened wastelands.
The fires, fueled by blistering summer heat that peaked at 48 degrees Celsius, have particularly affected the mountain forests of the Kabylia region on the Mediterranean coast.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, including 10 soldiers trapped by the flames.
Authorities have mobilized over 8,000 civil defense personnel, 500 fire trucks, and chartered aircraft to fight the almost 100 fires reported. While progress has been made in controlling most of the fires, 13 are still ongoing.
