Rabat - Between 15 and 17 hectares of forest have been ravaged by a fire that broke out on Saturday night around the rural town of Teqqi (120 km north of Agadir), according to Maghreb Arab Press (MAP).
"Efforts are ongoing to contain the fire," said Hamid Bensouiba, a representative of the regional office of the UN High Commission for Water and Forests and the fight against desertification, was quoted by MAP as saying.
The damaged area is composed mainly of cedar, green oak, oxycèdre juniper and other shrubs, and the cause of the fire has not been determined yet.
Supported by two Canadair planes, a group of 370 people, including members of the civil protection, the Royal Gendarmerie, auxiliary forces, and the local population, are working tirelessly to contain the fire.