Evacuation of 100 people due to forest fires in northern Tunisia

Tunis, Sept 1 (KUNA) – Tunisia’s Civil Protection Department announced on Tuesday the evacuation of at least 100 people due to forest fires that broke out in the Bou Maan mountain area in the Siliana governorate in the north of the country. The Tunisian News Agency reported that authorities transferred 18 people who suffered panic attacks to the hospital, 16 of whom had been discharged by today. The fires ignited several homes, causing the death of some livestock and damaging fruit trees. It added that the fires also affected the Mazata area and other adjacent zones in the governorate, fueled by heat and strong winds. The agency quoted witnesses saying they heard loud explosions during the fires, likely caused by landmines from the Second World War. For his part, the Regional Director of Agricultural Development, Jamal Al-Farshishi, told Tunisian TV that firefighting operations continued with the assistance of military helicopters. According to Civil Protection data, the fires that broke out in Tunisia this summer, specifically between June and August, affected an area of approximately 14,000 hectares. (End) S.B.M. / A.S.