Algeria wildfires: At least 65 people killed as blaze ravages mountain forests

Wildfires ravaging mountain forests have triggered evacuations in villages east of Algeria’s capital

At least 65 people have been killed in wildfires in Algeria, including 25 soldiers trying to save residents from the blazes, according to reports.

The flames erupted east of the Algerian capital, in two areas of the Kabyle region.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune tweeted that the soldiers, who saved 100 people frmo the blaze, were "martyrs".

Prime Minister Aïmene Benabderrahmane said on state TV that the death count of civilians had been raised from seven to at least 17 on Wednesday.

He said the blazes seemed to be "highly synchronised", adding that "leads one to believe these were criminal acts".

The raging fires have blanketed the mountainous Kabyle area with thick clouds of smoke, with multiple blazes having burnt through forests, destroying olive trees and killing cattle.

Some villagers have been forced to flee the region, which has no water-dumping planes and contains many difficult-to-access villages and limited water.

Other residents attempted to hold back the flames themselves, using buckets, branches and rudimentary tools.

The deaths and injuries on Tuesday occurred mainly around Kabyle’s capital of Tizi-Ouzou, which is flanked by mountains, and also in Bejaia, which borders the Mediterranean Sea.

Eleven soldiers were burned fighting the fires, four of them seriously, according to the Defense Ministry.

After travelling to Kabyle to assess the situation, Interior Minister Kamel Beldjoud said: "Only criminal hands can be behind the simultaneous outbreak of about 50 fires across several localities."

Despite this statement, no arrests have been announced and there were no immediate details given to explain the high death toll among the military.