The latest fires killed more than 30 people and forced thousands to flee the affected areas.
Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani offered his condolences to Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Tuesday as deadly wildfires swept across Algeria.
“The Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani sent a cable of condolences to HE President of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria Abdelmadjid Tebboune on the victims of the wildfires that erupted in several areas of the country, wishing the injured a speedy recovery,” Qatar’s state news agency reported.
The wildfires swept across at least 16 provinces in Algeria on Monday, killing more than 30 people, including 10 soldiers on the ground, while forcing hundreds to evacuate their homes. The figure is likely to increase as fires continued to rage on.
Some of the affected areas included the Bejaia, Bouira and Jijel provinces in the east of the capital, Algiers.
Rescue operations continued through Tuesday with at least 8,000 firefighters attempting to extinguish the flames, Reuters reported.
While the latest fires have been largely attributed to the scorching heatwave, the Bejaia prosecutor’s office has ordered an investigation to identify the causes and possible perpetrators.
Summer wildfires commonly occur in Algeria on an almost annual basis.
In August of 2022, wildfires spread across the northern and north-eastern parts of Algeria, killing at least 37 people while injuring more than 200 others.
In 2021, Algeria witnessed the most destructive wildfires in its history, which killed 90 people and destroyed more than 4.1 million hectares of forest.
At the time, Algeria pointed the blame to “arsonists” linked to separatist groups and arrested 22 suspects.
Meanwhile, wildfires have engulfed other nations in the Mediterranean, including the Greek island of Rhodes, where extreme heat has raised concerns over global warming.
Last week, Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs, Dr. Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah, and Greek defence minister Nikos Denidas held a phone call on the matter.
During the conversation, the defence officials discussed “Qatar’s readiness to contribute with air assets in countering the fires in Greece”, Denidas said in a tweet.
