Algerian authorities have apprehended four suspects, including minors, in connection with the devastating forest fires that swept through the country. The death toll has reached 34, with ten army personnel among the victims.
Efforts to extinguish the fires involved about 8,000 security forces, army, and civil service members, supported by 529 vehicles and rental aircraft.
The provinces of Bejaia, Boumerdes, and Jijel were most affected by the wildfires. Residents fled the scorching temperatures, reaching 45 degrees Celsius in Bejaia.
Algeria is experiencing an intense heatwave along with other North African and Southern European regions, where Tunisian cities recorded temperatures of 49 degrees Celsius.