Mourners gathered on Friday in Algeria’s northeastern province of Jijel to bury victims of the deadly wildfires that recently ravaged the region, with members of the country’s Civil Protection force carrying the coffins to the cemetery.
Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb attended the funeral service in Djemaa Beni Habibi alongside grieving families and community members. He had arrived in the area earlier in the week to evaluate the destruction and assist in organizing emergency efforts.
The official casualty count remains at 12 fatalities, with an additional 54 individuals suffering injuries. In response to the tragedy, President Abdelmajid Tebboune announced three days of national mourning on Thursday.
While seasonal wildfires frequently occur during northern Algeria’s summer months, rising temperatures and extended dry spells tied to global climate shifts are amplifying their severity.
Emergency services registered nearly 2,000 separate blazes throughout the nation during July alone.
