Mass burial reveals hidden toll of Algeria’s deadly ‘Black Wednesday’ wildfires

The death toll remains unknown for the wildfires that ripped across the region of Jijel in northeastern Algeria (shown in the image to the left). While the official number given on August 26 was just 12 dead, footage and information from the ground make it seem as if the number could be in the hundreds. A mass burial took place on August 28 in the village of Djemaa Beni Habibi (at right). © Observers

Wildfires ripped across northeastern Algeria in late August. Photos and videos showing the mass burial of several dozen people have raised questions about the real death toll of the fires as Algerian authorities haven’t shared new numbers since August 26. A number of Moroccan social media accounts have also been sharing disinformation about the fires.

It’s after sundown, and a person is digging a rectangular hole in the ground as around 20 men watch. The image was captured in a TikTok live shared on August 27, narrated by a man speaking in Algerian Arabic.