Algeria says six killed in forest fires during heatwave

Algeria's interior ministry said wildfires have killed six people, with several fires still burning as parts of the country face a heatwave.

The ministry said six deaths had been registered after fires affected several provinces in recent days. It said it had ordered provincial authorities to carry out a general survey and inventory of recorded damage so public authorities could take responsibility for compensating people affected by the forest fires.

The ministry also said it had deployed resources to fight the remaining fires. The source said much of northern Algeria has been hit by an intense heatwave, sparking hundreds of forest fires, and that dozens of people have been killed by wildfires in recent years.