Thread by @thesundaytimes

When wildfires broke out across Algeria last week, people were left to fight the flames using only buckets of water and branches.

@venetiamenzies reports on the heroic efforts of soldiers and ordinary citizens combating the blaze thetimes.co.uk/article/heatwa…

The mountainous Kabylie region of Algeria, 16% of which is covered by forests, has been burning for a week. Seasonal fires are common in the country, but the heatwave and high winds have made these the deadliest wildfires yet.

25 soldiers - declared martyrs by the government - were filmed driving towards the flames armed with bottles of water and without protective clothing.

“Do not cry my dears, God is with you”, people shouted as they departed.

The soldiers rescued 100 villagers who were trapped by fires before tragically dying. A lone surviving soldier filmed himself wailing in despair at the loss of his comrades in a video that provoked anguish throughout the country.

“My brothers are dead, God have mercy” he cried.

The government has arrested 22 suspects on suspicion of arson, insisting that ‘criminal hands were behind most of them’.

“Justice will perform its duty” said President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on state television.

An artist, Jamal ben Ismail, who had travelled over 100 miles from his hometown to bring donations and assist in fighting the fires was falsely accused of arson on Wednesday.

He was dragged from a police car, beaten to death and set on fire by an angry mob.

“My son is a hero and a martyr,” his father told local news.

Fires continue to spread, and a lack of firefighting infrastructure has left the country reliant on foreign nations to provide water planes, many of which have exhausted their resources helping Turkey and Greece.

At least 69 people have lost their lives in what is Algeria’s deadliest wildfires yet. Volunteers around the country have mobilised the donations of emergency supplies.

Read the full story here: thetimes.co.uk/article/heatwa…