Algeria Death Toll Climbs to 65 as Wildfires Sweep Northeast

(Bloomberg) -- Algeria’s government raised to 65 the estimated number of people killed in the biggest wildfires to hit the North African nation in years, Ennahar reported.

Twenty-eight soldiers were among the victims of the conflagrations that have mostly struck the mountainous area of Kabylie, east of the capital, Algiers, the news website said Wednesday, citing the defense ministry.

Authorities in the closely controlled country have blamed arsonists for the fires, which come as other Mediterranean nations such as Greece and Turkey see similar infernos amid heat waves. Neighboring Tunisia has been dealing with wildfires since Tuesday.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced three days of national mourning on Wednesday.

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