Firefighters in Tunisia are battling a major blaze that has raged for two days in a pine forest near the border with Algeria, a civil defence official said on Thursday. He said a border crossing with Algeria had to close temporarily because of the outbreak. Around a dozen families had been evacuated from the affected area near the Mediterranean resort of Tabarka east of the frontier. The Malloula border crossing had been “closed temporarily” because of thick smoke from the fire causing visibility problems on the road to Algeria, Laabidi said. Travellers were still able to cross the border at the Babouch crossing some 30 kilometres (18 miles) to the south, he said.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 20, 2023 15:47 UTC