Algeria's civil protection teams are actively fighting numerous wildfires blazing through the northern and eastern provinces after the latest official toll reported 12 fatalities and 54 injuries, including six critically injured individuals. In response, the nation has declared a period of national mourning and initiated investigations to determine the cause of the blazes.
The civil protection agency confirmed in its latest operational statement that, as of 8 PM on Thursday, 153 fires had struck vegetation and agricultural lands. While 85 fires have been extinguished, efforts to combat 67 fires continue across 16 provinces.
Topping the list of affected areas is Jijel with 17 ongoing fires, followed by El Tarf and Skikda with 10 fires each, Tizi Ouzou and Guelma with 5 each, and Annaba and Bejaia with 4 each.
Firefighting teams are also tackling two fires in each of Souk Ahras, Setif, and M'sila, and one fire each in Boumerdes, Mila, Constantine, Tebessa, Medea, and Bouira.
In Jijel, efforts have concentrated around the municipalities of Texenna, Ziama Mansouria, El Milia, Sidi Marouf, Oulad Yahya Khedrouche, and El Cheffah. In El Tarf, the fires have affected regions such as Lakdemi, Shafeia, Bouhadjar, and Hammam Ben Saleh.
Meanwhile, civil protection interventions continue in Skikda areas like Filfila, Bekouche Lakhdar, Zriza, Azzaba, and Em Toub, while dealing with scattered outbreaks in several municipalities of other provinces.
Regarding casualties, Interior Minister Kamal Beldjoud announced 12 deaths distributed as follows: five in Jijel, four in Bejaia, and three in Tizi Ouzou.
The authorities have also counted 54 burn victims, with six in critical condition receiving intensive care, as medical teams continue to provide care to the injured in hospitals within the afflicted areas.
The presidency declared three days of national mourning starting Thursday, with flags flown at half-mast and the cancellation of celebratory events and national sports competitions, in light of the loss of life from fires ravaging central and eastern provinces.
Interior Minister Kamal Beldjoud disclosed that comprehensive investigations have been launched to identify the fire causes, although no preliminary findings or official confirmations about their nature have been announced, according to the Algerian News Agency.
Simultaneously, the Algerian Red Crescent has activated its field response system, allocating its human and logistical resources to support and accompany the affected families in the fire-hit areas.