Algeria wildfires kill 12 as minister inspects hard-hit Bejaia

Algeria's Interior Minister Said Sayoud confirmed on Wednesday that wildfires sweeping through multiple provinces have killed at least 12 people, with 159 separate blazes reported nationwide and the heaviest casualties recorded in the northern regions of Jijel, Bejaia and Tizi Ouzou. The minister disclosed the provisional death toll during an assessment visit to Bejaia, where four fatalities occurred, while five people died in Jijel and three in Tizi Ouzou according to local media reports.

Minister inspects emergency response

Sayoud traveled to Bejaia province to personally evaluate the government's response to the disaster and inspect ongoing firefighting operations, local outlets reported. He visited a 60-bed hospital in Souk El Tenine to check on individuals injured in the blazes and review the medical care being provided to survivors, officials said.

Casualties mount across northern provinces

The 12 confirmed deaths include five victims in Jijel, four in Bejaia and three in Tizi Ouzou, with authorities reporting fatalities across multiple provinces. Officials have confirmed 159 separate fire outbreaks nationwide, with emergency crews continuing to battle active blazes amid concerns that the casualty toll could rise.