A pre-dawn fire at a children’s care facility near Algeria’s capital, Algiers, has killed at least 11 people and injured 19 others, according to the country’s civil defence authorities. The blaze broke out at around 3 a.m. local time on Thursday at the Fondation de l’Enfance Assistée in Mohammadia, a district east of Algiers. Emergency crews rushed to the scene and worked for several hours to contain the flames and evacuate residents. Civil defence teams rescued five children with special needs during the operation, while authorities have not yet released the ages or identities of those who died.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, and investigations are underway to determine what triggered the deadly incident. Algerian Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb visited survivors receiving treatment in hospital, according to footage broadcast on state television. The tragedy comes as Algeria faces an intense heatwave that has placed additional pressure on emergency services. Authorities reported that nearly 1,000 wildfires have occurred across the country in the past week, increasing demands on firefighting and rescue teams. Officials have not indicated whether the extreme weather conditions contributed to the orphanage fire, but the ongoing heatwave has raised concerns over fire risks and emergency response capacity across Algeria.
