Algerian president declares three days’ mourning as wildfire death toll mounts

A man watches in horror as a forest fire rips through a village in the Kabyle region (Fateh Guidoum/AP)

The death toll in fires ravaging mountain forests and villages in Algeria’s Berber region climbed Wednesday to 65 people, including 28 soldiers, as the president declared a three-day mourning period this week to honor the lives lost.

The Civil Protection authority announced the rising number of victims, up from 42 on Tuesday.