At least 42 killed in Algeria wildfires, including 25 soldiers

Forest wildfires besiege the village of Ighil Ihabouyene in Cheurfa in the Kabylie Region of Algeria on Wednesday Aug 11, 2021.

At least 25 Algerian soldiers and 17 civilians have been killed in wildfires to the east of the capital Algiers, the country's prime minister has said.

Several more soldiers were injured fighting the fires, in the forested Kabylie region.

Temperatures of up to 46C were forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Fires have caused devastation in several Mediterranean countries in recent days, including Turkey, Greece, Lebanon and Cyprus.

Climate change increases the risk of the hot, dry weather that is likely to fuel wildfires.