The death toll from the fires in eastern Algeria has risen to 37, with 161 injured, according to local media and medics on Thursday.

Earlier, Algerian Interior Minister Kamel Beljou said that the fires had caused the death of 26 people and damaged 800 hectares of forest.

Most of the victims came from the province of Al Tarf, where 16 fires are still blazing, according to the authorities.

(Cover: Burnt trees and a bus are pictured following a wildfire in El Kala, in Al Tarf province, Algeria, August 18, 2022. /Reuters)