Algeria forest blazes kill 38

EL KALA, Algeria: Algerian firefighters were on Thursday battling a string of blazes, fanned by drought and a blistering heatwave, that have killed at least 38 people and left destruction in their wake.

Deadly forest fires have become an annual scourge in the North African country, where climate change is turning large areas into a tinderbox. According to multiple sources, including local journalists and the fire service, at least 38 people have been killed, mostly in the El Tarf region near Algeria’s eastern border with Tunisia which was baking in 48 degree Celsius (118 Fahrenheit) heat.

At least 200 more people have suffered burns or respiratory problems from the smoke, according to various Algerian media. A journalist in El Tarf described "scenes of devastation" on the road to El Kala in the country’s far northeast.

"A tornado of fire swept everything away in seconds," he told AFP by telephone. "Most of those who died were surrounded while visiting a wildlife park." Emergency services were still battling a blaze around Tonga lake, he said.