Algerians in the village of Anchid in Jijel province inspected damage caused by wildfires on Thursday (August 27).

Twelve people were killed in wildfires that swept through several Algerian provinces, Interior Minister Said Sayoud said late on Wednesday (August 26), amid a severe heatwave gripping North Africa. No updated figures of casualties have been released since then.

The fatalities included five people in Jijel province, four in Bejaia and three in Tizi Ouzou.

Sayoud added that 54 people had suffered burn injuries, including six in critical condition who are currently in intensive care.

Algeria's civil protection services recorded 154 wildfires across the country on Wednesday. Thirty-six fires were reported in Bejaia province alone, of which 18 had been brought under control.

The fires come as an exceptional heatwave sweeps across North Africa, particularly Tunisia and Algeria.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

1. VARIOUS OF SMOKE NEAR BURNT BUILDING AT ANCHID VILLAGE IN JIJEL PROVINCE AFFECTED BY WILDFIRES

2. CAR DRIVING BY

3. VARIOUS OF BURNT CARS AND BUILDINGS

4. SUN IN SKY / BURNT TREE NEXT TO BUILDING WITH VILLAGE NAME READING (English): "ANCHID"

5. VARIOUS OF BURNT TREES AND BUILDINGS

6. SUN SHROUDED BEHIND SMOKE IN SKY

7. VARIOUS OF BURNT TREES AND BUILDINGS IN DISTANCE

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ALGERIAN RESIDENT FROM NEARBY ACHRAR VILLAGE, LAOUAR ABDELJALIL, SAYING:

"These wildfires have impacted all of us this year, we have not witnessed this in our entire life, never known in the history of this mountain. The fire has left neither the dry nor the green."

9. BURNT TREES

10. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ALGERIAN RESIDENT WHO LOST HIS PROPERTIES DUE TO WILDFIRES, LAOUAR ABDELJALIL, SAYING:

"Over there at Achrar village, we lost my neighbour uncle al-Saeed Hanoun. He died in front of my house, engulfed by flames. Another person went to rescue his sheep from the stable and free them so that they don't burn, but he was engulfed in flames and died because of it."

11. VARIOUS OF RESIDENT SHOWING DESTRUCTION AT HIS BURNT HOUSE

12. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ALGERIAN RESIDENT WHO LOST HIS PROPERTY DUE TO WILDFIRES, AL-SAEED MAAYOUF, SAYING:

"The fires came from the mountain in the Taghrast region, at night, and in moments, it spread everywhere, with smoke. The person who was driving this vehicle, was surprised by the fires, so he left it and ran away to save himself. We left our homes and ran away to town of Bordj Tahar (nearby mountainous region in Jijel Province). We are sleeping out in the open. The fires destroyed everything, houses, fruit-bearing trees, especially olive trees. Nothing is left, all of our houses are burnt."

13. VARIOUS OF BURNT TREES AND BUILDING