All the victims lived in the central Adrar region of the country, about 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) south of Algiers. Many succumbed to the extreme heat after frequent power cuts shut off the normal flow of drinking water, the daily El-Khabar said.

The entire north of Algeria including the capital Algiers has been in the grip of a debilitating heatwave in recent days with temperatures in the capital rising to a 42 degrees Celsius (107 Fahrenheit).

Temperatures further south in the Sahara region have crept as high as 47 Celsius (116 degrees), according to meteorological reports.

Weather experts say the heatwave, fanned by hot southerly winds, should last until Wednesday before temperatures fall to more seasonal levels.

TERRA.WIRE