Six killed in Algeria forest fires: interior ministry

Wildfires in Algeria have killed six people, the interior ministry announced, with several fires still raging across the North African country gripped by a heatwave.

"In the wake of the fires that affected certain provinces of the country in recent days, six deaths have been registered," the ministry said in a statement.

It said it had ordered the provinces to launch "a general operation to survey and inventory all recorded damage" in order to "permit the public authorities to take responsibility for compensating those affected by the forest fires".

The ministry said it had deployed resources to fight the remaining fires.

Much of northern Algeria has been gripped by an intense heatwave, sparking hundreds of forest fires. Dozens have been killed by wildfires in recent years.