Wildfires break out in northern Tunisia

This photo shows A blaze spreading through the hills of the Mont Nahli Park, north of Tunis, after a fire broke out on 5 June 2014 [FETHI BELAID/AFP/Getty Images]

A series of simultaneous wildfires broke out yesterday morning across forests in the cities of Ain Draham and Tabarka in the governorate of Jendouba and some cities in the state of Bizerte in northern Tunisia.

Civil protection units and the National Army have reportedly been working nonstop to extinguish the fires which approached some residential areas. High winds and unusually high temperatures are fuelling the flames, leaving firefighters unable to contain them. The army has also been dispatched to use helicopters to tackle the fires.

Temperatures in Jendouba reached 49 degrees Celsius yesterday, with the country’s National Meteorological Institute saying Tunisia is experiencing the worst heat wave the country has seen since 1999.

READ: Tunisia experiencing worst heat wave since 1999

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