Deaths from Algerian forest fires rise to 42

Algerian Prime Minister Aïmene Benabderrahmane has announced that 42 people, including 25 soldiers, have been killed in forest fires that broke out in eastern Algeria.

Benabderrahmane told state television that the government had asked the international community for help and was in talks with partners to lease fire fighters.

Plumes of smoke rose from fires in the forest in the Tizi Ouzou region on Tuesday, as residents used branches of trees and water to try to put out the flames.

Witnesses said several houses were burnt and families fled to hotels and youth homes, while fire crews had difficulty seeing because of the thick smoke.