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"We had a night of terror": 42 people died in huge fires in Algeria
More than 70 fires have broken out in the forests of the North African country.
Twenty-five soldiers recruited to take control of the fire were found dead, while the local Ministry of Defense said military operations had saved the lives of more than 100 residents in the fire.
Interior Minister claims arson: "Crime is behind the blaze"
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Algeria
Fires
News agencies
Wednesday, 11 August 2021, 03:12 Updated: 08:06
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Firefighters put out a fire in a building in Algeria, yesterday (Photo: Reuters)
42 people died in the huge fires in the Algerian forests, including 25 soldiers recruited to help control the blaze - the government said yesterday (Tuesday).
More than 70 fires have broken out since Monday night in 14 different hotspots in the North African country, against the backdrop of the struggle of Greece and Turkey in the past week in hundreds of large fires, which ignited after the worst heat wave that has hit them in decades.
The Algerian Defense Ministry said military operations had saved the lives of 110 people, and that more soldiers had been seriously injured and were suffering from burns, during attempts to put out the fire in dozens of different hotspots in the north of the country.
State radio said three lighters were arrested in Medea province and another lighter was arrested in Anaba province, on suspicion of causing the major fires.
This, in parallel with the statement of the Algerian Interior Minister who claimed that the fires were caused by arson, but did not provide further details regarding his accusations.
“Our crime hands can be behind the parallel outbreaks of fires across different areas,” he said.
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"Advanced talks with foreign partners to speed up the shutdown process."
Fire in the forest, yesterday (Photo: Reuters)
The interior minister further stressed that preventing further casualties is the highest priority, assuring that those affected by the fires will be compensated.
Prime Minister Ayman bin 'Abd a-Rahman last night updated on state television on the rising death toll, noting that the government was in "advanced talks with foreign partners to rent planes and help speed up the firefighting process."
Algerian President Abd al-Majid Tabun has expressed on his Twitter account his condolences on the soldiers who lost their lives while rescuing residents from the hotspots.
Attempts to put out the fire in one of the hotspots in Algeria, yesterday (Photo: Reuters)
Ten of the fires broke out in Tizi Uzo, one of the cities with the largest population in the Kabylia region.
According to eyewitnesses, several houses caught fire, and as a result families fled to hotels, youth hostels and university dormitories - while thick smoke interfered with the activities of firefighters.
"We had a night of terror, my house burned down completely," described Muhammad Kahi, who was forced to flee with his family from one of the villages where fire raged.
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