Fifteen people died and 26 others were injured overnight from Sunday to Monday in forest fires that affected three departments in northern Algeria, the Interior Ministry announced on Monday.
In total, the country recorded 97 fires in 16 wilayas (prefectures) but the most violent broke out in Béjaïa, Bouira and Jijel killing 15, the ministry said in a statement. These fires, fanned by very strong winds, reached residential areas in these three prefectures where 1,500 people threatened by the flames were evacuated, according to this source.