Namibia deploys army to battle raging fire in Etosha National Park

LUSAKA, Zambia

Namibia announced on Sunday that 500 soldiers will join an emergency reinforcement to put out a nearly week-long wildfire in the Etosha National Park, one of Africa's largest national parks.

Prime Minister Tjitunga Ngurare announced the decision following a Saturday emergency meeting in which authorities decided to deploy the army alongside firefighters, police, and volunteers on the ground.

"An emergency meeting on Saturday decided to send 500 more troops to help firefighters, police, and volunteers on the ground," Ngurare wrote on the US social media company X.

According to the country's environment ministry, the fire, which started at a charcoal production site outside the park's borders nearly a week ago, has already destroyed a third of the nature reserve.

It had penetrated the park, killing at least nine antelope and destroying wildlife habitats and grazing pastures in the Omusati and Oshana regions, which border Angola.

The park spans 22,935 square kilometers (8,855 square miles) and is home to 114 mammal species, including endangered black rhinos.

It also attracts migratory birds, including flamingos, and according to government statistics, approximately 200,000 tourists visit each year.