Eleven individuals, including children, died and 19 were injured in an early Thursday morning fire at an orphanage situated near Algiers, the capital of Algeria, according to official statements.
Emergency responders and local residents converged on the orphanage located in the Mohammadia district of Algiers province. Visual evidence from the scene revealed scorched masonry above two window openings, visible beyond the property's gates.
The civil protection agency reported that ten of the injured sustained burns of varying degrees. Emergency crews successfully evacuated five individuals with disabilities from the facility to safety. The agency has not yet provided specific details regarding the deceased or injured individuals, including their ages, nor has it indicated a potential cause for the blaze.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune extended his condolences via social media, stating he had received news of "the deaths of children and the injuries of others following a fire that broke out at a children's care facility."
Elias Gabrini, a 58-year-old resident of the Mohammadia neighborhood who witnessed the event, recounted to Reuters how residents mobilized after learning of the fire. "It's truly overwhelming. Seeing this with your own eyes is not easy," Gabrini stated.
Algeria has recently experienced a heatwave, during which civil protection units have battled numerous fires. State news agency APS reported on Wednesday that 913 fires had been extinguished nationwide since July 8, citing data from the General Directorate of Civil Protection.
