According to government ministries on Monday, at least 25 people have been killed, including 10 military personnel, as wildfires raged across Algeria. The devastating situation has forced authorities to evacuate as many as 1,500 people, said the Interior Ministry of Algeria.

The Interior Ministry on Monday announced that 15 people had died and 24 others were injured. Later, the country’s Defense Ministry announced the deaths of 10 soldiers and 25 more injuries, AP reported.

The soldiers were trying to prevent the further spread of the devastating wildfires which have been burning for several days. Emboldened by high winds, the fires spread across 16 regions, causing 97 blazes in the African country.

The areas of Bejala and Jijel in Algiers, as well as Bouira, were the hardest hit by the wildfires, according to the Interior Ministry. Some 7,500 firefighters and 350 trucks were deployed to control the situation.

It is worth mentioning that wildfires are not uncommon in Algeria. In August last year, 37 people died in wildfires near the Algerian border with Tunisia.

The wildfires are being fuelled in Greece and other Mediterranean nations due to strong winds and successive heat waves.

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