Algeria: deadly fires ravage the North and East of the country

ByMuhammad

Deadly fires have ravaged the north and east of Algeria, causing at least 12 deaths and numerous injuries.

WHY READ:

  • To understand the extent of the damage caused by the fires.
  • To discover the solidarity efforts deployed to help the victims.
  • To find out about the investigations opened concerning the origin of the fires.

Algeria has just gone through one of the deadliest fire episodes this summer. Several wilayas in the Center and especially in the East of the country were hit by extremely violent fires, causing at least 12 deaths and dozens of injuries. After several days of massive emergency mobilization, Civil Protection announced Sunday evening that all the fires declared between August 26 and 30 had been contained and completely brought under control.

The day of Wednesday August 26 will remain the most dramatic of this new wave of fires. The wilayas of Jijel, Béjaïa and Tizi Ouzou paid the heaviest human toll: five people lost their lives in Jijel, four in Béjaïa and three in Tizi Ouzou. Among the victims was an eight-year-old child. The report communicated by the Minister of the Interior, Saïd Sayoud, also reported 54 injured, including several seriously burned.

Faced with the scale of the fires, Algeria declared three days of national mourning starting August 27. Seriously injured people were transferred by air to the Zéralda burn hospital, near Algiers.

Hundreds of fires broke out in a few days

The mobilization of relief was considerable. Thursday, August 27 in the morning, Civil Protection indicated having extinguished 147 fires out of 193 recorded in several wilayas during the period considered. In the following days, the outbreaks were concentrated mainly in the north and east of the country, notably in Jijel, Skikda, El Tarf, Guelma, Annaba, Béjaïa, Tizi Ouzou, Bouira and even Mila. In Jijel, particularly affected, several municipalities were threatened by the flames, notably Texenna, Ziama Mansouriah, El Milia, Chekfa, Ouled Yahia Khedrouche and even Djemaa Beni Habibi.

Significant air assets were deployed alongside ground teams, including BE-200 and AT-802 water bomber planes, as well as helicopters from the People’s National Army.

The situation gradually improved over the weekend. Saturday August 29, thirteen fires were still being extinguished, including nine in Jijel. Sunday at 1 p.m., only one fire remained among the 19 recorded over the previous 24 hours. A few hours later, the General Directorate of Civil Protection finally announced total control of all the fires declared between August 26 and 30.

Affected populations and an immense outpouring of solidarity

Although the flames have now been brought under control, their consequences remain considerable for many families. Damaged homes, destroyed crops, burned fruit trees, lost livestock: in several rural areas, residents saw a significant part of their property and means of subsistence disappear in just a few hours.

At the same time, a vast solidarity movement was organized in the country. Associations, citizens and volunteers collected water, foodstuffs, hygiene products, medicines and equipment intended for the affected populations. In Jijel, the Ministry of National Solidarity announced the exceptional mobilization of 78 local units to help residents of the affected areas.

This Monday, August 31, the Central Hospital Pharmacy also indicated that its crisis unit continued to monitor the supply of medicines and medical devices to health establishments located in the Central and Eastern regions affected by the fires.

Investigations opened into the origin of the fires

The exact causes of this succession of fires also remain at the center of questions. The Minister of the Interior announced the opening of in-depth investigations to determine the circumstances in which the various outbreaks occurred.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, for his part, publicly raised the possibility of a criminal origin for certain fires. At the end of a meeting organized on Sunday August 30, he announced that people suspected of involvement had been arrested, while specifying that investigations were continuing.

At this stage, it is therefore appropriate to distinguish this criminal lead currently being examined by the authorities from the final conclusions of the judicial investigations. The Head of State also ordered rapid care for affected families and compensation for destroyed property, whether homes, livestock or domestic equipment.

The authorities now want to accelerate the rehabilitation of water, electricity, gas and telecommunications networks in the affected areas. While the fires are now under control, the urgency shifts to helping the victims, reconstruction and understanding the causes of this new disaster. An ordeal which once again reminds us of the vulnerability of Algerian forest regions to summer fires and the importance of prevention, monitoring and rapid intervention systems.

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Muhammad

Muhammad is a visionary thinker and passionate writer who has been contributing to Understanding Islam for several years.