Wildfires raging across Algeria have killed at least 25 people, including 10 soldiers trying to get the flames under control in the face of high winds and scorching summer temperatures.
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At least 1500 people were evacuated, the Interior Ministry said on Monday, without providing details.
The ministry announced 15 deaths and 24 injuries. In addition, the Defence Ministry later announced 10 soldiers were killed and 25 injured as they fought fires in the resort area of Beni Ksila east of the capital Algiers.
It was not immediately clear over what period of time the casualties happened, but the fires have been burning for several days.
Wildfires, some spread by strong winds, moved across forests and agricultural areas in 16 regions causing 97 blazes in the north African country. The largest and deadliest fires ravaged parts of Bejaia and Jijel - in the Kabyle region east of Algiers - and Bouira, about 100 kilometres southeast of Algiers, the Interior Ministry said.
Operations to tamp down the fires included some 7500 firefighters and 350 trucks on the ground as well as air support.
Algeria is no stranger to summer wildfires. At least 37 people were killed in August last year in blazes near Algeria's northern border with Tunisia.
A year earlier, dozens were killed ncluding soldiers called in to help fight fires in the mountainous Kabyle region.
Strong winds and successive heat waves have fuelled vicious fires in Greece and elsewhere around the Mediterranean this northern summer.
Australian Associated Press
