One person reportedly killed as Algeria battles wildfires

Wildfires in Algeria have claimed their first victim, local media reports said on Wednesday - a municipal worker taking part in firefighting operations.

Mayor Beni Mouhli in the northeastern province of Setif told reporters that the 59-year-old man died while helping emergency crews contain the fires.

On Tuesday the country’s civil defence said one person with severe burns had been evacuated by helicopter but didn’t identify the victim.

Wildfires fuelled by a heatwave have been ravaging parts of the country for days.

Wildfires are a common sight in summer in northern Algeria, increasingly exacerbated by drought and heatwaves that scientists say are linked to climate change.

"These major and dramatic fires were caused by the sharp rise in temperatures, the heatwave, and the violent winds that affected several regions," said Colonel Nessim Bernaoui, Head of Communications at the General Directorate of Civil Protection, "such as the wilaya of Béjaïa in Beni Maouche and all the neighbouring villages and hamlets around this municipality.”

In a statement on Wednesday morning, the Algerian civil defence said its units had responded to nearly 140 fires across the country over the previous 24 hours. Most have been contained.

Other Mediterranean countries, including France and Italy, have also been battling wildfires in recent days.