At Least 38 People Killed In Fire Tornado In Northern Algeria Algeria

Deadly forest fires have become an annual scourge in the north African country, where the climate crisis is turning large swaths of land into a box. According to multiple sources, including local journalists and the fire service, at least 38 people have been killed, mostly in El Tarf province near Algeria’s eastern border with Tunisia, which is baking at 48C (118F). At least 200 more people have suffered burns or breathing problems from the smoke, according to Algerian media. A journalist in El Tarf described scenes of destruction on the road to El Kala in the north-east of the country. “A tornado swept everything away in seconds,” he told AFP by phone. “Most of those who died were surrounded while visiting a wildlife park.” Emergency services are still battling flames around Lake Tonga, he said. An AFP team in El Calaf reported a strong smell of smoke and said authorities feared strong winds could spark new fires. They also saw extensive damage to the wildlife park and a witness, who asked not to be named, said 12 people were burned to death in their bus as they tried to escape. Several roads in the area were closed. State television reported Thursday morning that the prime minister, Ayman Benabderrahmane, is visiting the region. Firefighters were battling the large fire in the Souk Ahras mountainous region, a journalist in the area told AFP. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. He described scenes of panic in the city of half a million people, where nearly 100 women and 17 newborn babies had to be evacuated from a hospital near the forest. Algerian television showed people leaving their burning homes, women holding children in their arms. Local media reported that 350 people fled their homes. Some 39 fires have ravaged various parts of northern Algeria, according to the fire service, and there were fears that hot winds could spark new blazes that authorities are ill-equipped to fight. Trees have been burned in fires that have ravaged 100,000 hectares of forest and farmland in northern Algeria. Photo: AFP/Getty Images The scenes sparked fears of a repeat of last year’s fires, which killed at least 90 people and destroyed 100,000 hectares (247,000 acres) of forest and farmland in the country’s north. Last year’s disaster drew heavy criticism of the authorities for a lack of firefighting aircraft. Authorities have leased a Russian Beriev Be-200 water bomber, but it had broken down and was not expected to be operational again until Saturday, Interior Minister Kamel Beldjoud said. The civil protection service and the military have access to several firefighting helicopters. Experts have called for a major effort to boost the firefighting capacity of Africa’s largest country, which has more than 4 million hectares of forest. An expert, who asked not to be named, told AFP that in the 1980s the country had 22 Grumman aircraft to fight forest fires, but that “they were sold cheaply, with no alternative proposed”. Algeria had agreed to buy seven firefighting aircraft from Spanish company Plysa, but canceled the contract after a diplomatic row over Western Sahara in late June, according to specialist website Mena Defense. Since early August, 106 fires have broken out in Algeria, destroying 800 hectares of forest and 1,800 hectares of woodland, according to Beldjoud, who said some were caused by arson.

title: “At Least 38 People Killed In Fire Tornado In Northern Algeria Algeria Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-11” author: “Ashley Winkfield”

Deadly forest fires have become an annual scourge in the north African country, where the climate crisis is turning large swaths of land into a box. According to multiple sources, including local journalists and the fire service, at least 38 people have been killed, mostly in El Tarf province near Algeria’s eastern border with Tunisia, which is baking at 48C (118F). At least 200 more people have suffered burns or breathing problems from the smoke, according to Algerian media. A journalist in El Tarf described scenes of destruction on the road to El Kala in the north-east of the country. “A tornado swept everything away in seconds,” he told AFP by phone. “Most of those who died were surrounded while visiting a wildlife park.” Emergency services are still battling flames around Lake Tonga, he said. An AFP team in El Calaf reported a strong smell of smoke and said authorities feared strong winds could spark new fires. They also saw extensive damage to the wildlife park and a witness, who asked not to be named, said 12 people were burned to death in their bus as they tried to escape. Several roads in the area were closed. State television reported Thursday morning that the prime minister, Ayman Benabderrahmane, is visiting the region. Firefighters were battling the large fire in the Souk Ahras mountainous region, a journalist in the area told AFP. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. He described scenes of panic in the city of half a million people, where nearly 100 women and 17 newborn babies had to be evacuated from a hospital near the forest. Algerian television showed people leaving their burning homes, women holding children in their arms. Local media reported that 350 people fled their homes. Some 39 fires have ravaged various parts of northern Algeria, according to the fire service, and there were fears that hot winds could spark new blazes that authorities are ill-equipped to fight. Trees have been burned in fires that have ravaged 100,000 hectares of forest and farmland in northern Algeria. Photo: AFP/Getty Images The scenes sparked fears of a repeat of last year’s fires, which killed at least 90 people and destroyed 100,000 hectares (247,000 acres) of forest and farmland in the country’s north. Last year’s disaster drew heavy criticism of the authorities for a lack of firefighting aircraft. Authorities have leased a Russian Beriev Be-200 water bomber, but it had broken down and was not expected to be operational again until Saturday, Interior Minister Kamel Beldjoud said. The civil protection service and the military have access to several firefighting helicopters. Experts have called for a major effort to boost the firefighting capacity of Africa’s largest country, which has more than 4 million hectares of forest. An expert, who asked not to be named, told AFP that in the 1980s the country had 22 Grumman aircraft to fight forest fires, but that “they were sold cheaply, with no alternative proposed”. Algeria had agreed to buy seven firefighting aircraft from Spanish company Plysa, but canceled the contract after a diplomatic row over Western Sahara in late June, according to specialist website Mena Defense. Since early August, 106 fires have broken out in Algeria, destroying 800 hectares of forest and 1,800 hectares of woodland, according to Beldjoud, who said some were caused by arson.

title: “At Least 38 People Killed In Fire Tornado In Northern Algeria Algeria Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-30” author: “Michael Cunningham”

Deadly forest fires have become an annual scourge in the north African country, where the climate crisis is turning large swaths of land into a box. According to multiple sources, including local journalists and the fire service, at least 38 people have been killed, mostly in El Tarf province near Algeria’s eastern border with Tunisia, which is baking at 48C (118F). At least 200 more people have suffered burns or breathing problems from the smoke, according to Algerian media. A journalist in El Tarf described scenes of destruction on the road to El Kala in the north-east of the country. “A tornado swept everything away in seconds,” he told AFP by phone. “Most of those who died were surrounded while visiting a wildlife park.” Emergency services are still battling flames around Lake Tonga, he said. An AFP team in El Calaf reported a strong smell of smoke and said authorities feared strong winds could spark new fires. They also saw extensive damage to the wildlife park and a witness, who asked not to be named, said 12 people were burned to death in their bus as they tried to escape. Several roads in the area were closed. State television reported Thursday morning that the prime minister, Ayman Benabderrahmane, is visiting the region. Firefighters were battling the large fire in the Souk Ahras mountainous region, a journalist in the area told AFP. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. He described scenes of panic in the city of half a million people, where nearly 100 women and 17 newborn babies had to be evacuated from a hospital near the forest. Algerian television showed people leaving their burning homes, women holding children in their arms. Local media reported that 350 people fled their homes. Some 39 fires have ravaged various parts of northern Algeria, according to the fire service, and there were fears that hot winds could spark new blazes that authorities are ill-equipped to fight. Trees have been burned in fires that have ravaged 100,000 hectares of forest and farmland in northern Algeria. Photo: AFP/Getty Images The scenes sparked fears of a repeat of last year’s fires, which killed at least 90 people and destroyed 100,000 hectares (247,000 acres) of forest and farmland in the country’s north. Last year’s disaster drew heavy criticism of the authorities for a lack of firefighting aircraft. Authorities have leased a Russian Beriev Be-200 water bomber, but it had broken down and was not expected to be operational again until Saturday, Interior Minister Kamel Beldjoud said. The civil protection service and the military have access to several firefighting helicopters. Experts have called for a major effort to boost the firefighting capacity of Africa’s largest country, which has more than 4 million hectares of forest. An expert, who asked not to be named, told AFP that in the 1980s the country had 22 Grumman aircraft to fight forest fires, but that “they were sold cheaply, with no alternative proposed”. Algeria had agreed to buy seven firefighting aircraft from Spanish company Plysa, but canceled the contract after a diplomatic row over Western Sahara in late June, according to specialist website Mena Defense. Since early August, 106 fires have broken out in Algeria, destroying 800 hectares of forest and 1,800 hectares of woodland, according to Beldjoud, who said some were caused by arson.

title: “At Least 38 People Killed In Fire Tornado In Northern Algeria Algeria Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-03” author: “Linda Irwin”

Deadly forest fires have become an annual scourge in the north African country, where the climate crisis is turning large swaths of land into a box. According to multiple sources, including local journalists and the fire service, at least 38 people have been killed, mostly in El Tarf province near Algeria’s eastern border with Tunisia, which is baking at 48C (118F). At least 200 more people have suffered burns or breathing problems from the smoke, according to Algerian media. A journalist in El Tarf described scenes of destruction on the road to El Kala in the north-east of the country. “A tornado swept everything away in seconds,” he told AFP by phone. “Most of those who died were surrounded while visiting a wildlife park.” Emergency services are still battling flames around Lake Tonga, he said. An AFP team in El Calaf reported a strong smell of smoke and said authorities feared strong winds could spark new fires. They also saw extensive damage to the wildlife park and a witness, who asked not to be named, said 12 people were burned to death in their bus as they tried to escape. Several roads in the area were closed. State television reported Thursday morning that the prime minister, Ayman Benabderrahmane, is visiting the region. Firefighters were battling the large fire in the Souk Ahras mountainous region, a journalist in the area told AFP. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. He described scenes of panic in the city of half a million people, where nearly 100 women and 17 newborn babies had to be evacuated from a hospital near the forest. Algerian television showed people leaving their burning homes, women holding children in their arms. Local media reported that 350 people fled their homes. Some 39 fires have ravaged various parts of northern Algeria, according to the fire service, and there were fears that hot winds could spark new blazes that authorities are ill-equipped to fight. Trees have been burned in fires that have ravaged 100,000 hectares of forest and farmland in northern Algeria. Photo: AFP/Getty Images The scenes sparked fears of a repeat of last year’s fires, which killed at least 90 people and destroyed 100,000 hectares (247,000 acres) of forest and farmland in the country’s north. Last year’s disaster drew heavy criticism of the authorities for a lack of firefighting aircraft. Authorities have leased a Russian Beriev Be-200 water bomber, but it had broken down and was not expected to be operational again until Saturday, Interior Minister Kamel Beldjoud said. The civil protection service and the military have access to several firefighting helicopters. Experts have called for a major effort to boost the firefighting capacity of Africa’s largest country, which has more than 4 million hectares of forest. An expert, who asked not to be named, told AFP that in the 1980s the country had 22 Grumman aircraft to fight forest fires, but that “they were sold cheaply, with no alternative proposed”. Algeria had agreed to buy seven firefighting aircraft from Spanish company Plysa, but canceled the contract after a diplomatic row over Western Sahara in late June, according to specialist website Mena Defense. Since early August, 106 fires have broken out in Algeria, destroying 800 hectares of forest and 1,800 hectares of woodland, according to Beldjoud, who said some were caused by arson.

title: “At Least 38 People Killed In Fire Tornado In Northern Algeria Algeria Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-22” author: “Vernon Wilson”

Deadly forest fires have become an annual scourge in the north African country, where the climate crisis is turning large swaths of land into a box. According to multiple sources, including local journalists and the fire service, at least 38 people have been killed, mostly in El Tarf province near Algeria’s eastern border with Tunisia, which is baking at 48C (118F). At least 200 more people have suffered burns or breathing problems from the smoke, according to Algerian media. A journalist in El Tarf described scenes of destruction on the road to El Kala in the north-east of the country. “A tornado swept everything away in seconds,” he told AFP by phone. “Most of those who died were surrounded while visiting a wildlife park.” Emergency services are still battling flames around Lake Tonga, he said. An AFP team in El Calaf reported a strong smell of smoke and said authorities feared strong winds could spark new fires. They also saw extensive damage to the wildlife park and a witness, who asked not to be named, said 12 people were burned to death in their bus as they tried to escape. Several roads in the area were closed. State television reported Thursday morning that the prime minister, Ayman Benabderrahmane, is visiting the region. Firefighters were battling the large fire in the Souk Ahras mountainous region, a journalist in the area told AFP. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. He described scenes of panic in the city of half a million people, where nearly 100 women and 17 newborn babies had to be evacuated from a hospital near the forest. Algerian television showed people leaving their burning homes, women holding children in their arms. Local media reported that 350 people fled their homes. Some 39 fires have ravaged various parts of northern Algeria, according to the fire service, and there were fears that hot winds could spark new blazes that authorities are ill-equipped to fight. Trees have been burned in fires that have ravaged 100,000 hectares of forest and farmland in northern Algeria. Photo: AFP/Getty Images The scenes sparked fears of a repeat of last year’s fires, which killed at least 90 people and destroyed 100,000 hectares (247,000 acres) of forest and farmland in the country’s north. Last year’s disaster drew heavy criticism of the authorities for a lack of firefighting aircraft. Authorities have leased a Russian Beriev Be-200 water bomber, but it had broken down and was not expected to be operational again until Saturday, Interior Minister Kamel Beldjoud said. The civil protection service and the military have access to several firefighting helicopters. Experts have called for a major effort to boost the firefighting capacity of Africa’s largest country, which has more than 4 million hectares of forest. An expert, who asked not to be named, told AFP that in the 1980s the country had 22 Grumman aircraft to fight forest fires, but that “they were sold cheaply, with no alternative proposed”. Algeria had agreed to buy seven firefighting aircraft from Spanish company Plysa, but canceled the contract after a diplomatic row over Western Sahara in late June, according to specialist website Mena Defense. Since early August, 106 fires have broken out in Algeria, destroying 800 hectares of forest and 1,800 hectares of woodland, according to Beldjoud, who said some were caused by arson.