Eleven people lost their lives and 19 others were hurt when a fire broke out at an orphanage on the edge of Algeria’s capital in the early hours of Thursday morning, according to state media reports.
The blaze originated at the orphanage located in the Mohammadia district, situated in the eastern suburbs of Algiers.
Of those injured, ten sustained burns ranging in severity. Emergency responders also successfully evacuated five individuals with disabilities from the facility, the country’s civil protection agency reported.
Officials said firefighting efforts were still ongoing at the time of the report. No victims have been identified, their ages have not been released, and the cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
The fire comes as Algeria has been enduring a significant heatwave in recent days. According to state news agency APS, citing the General Directorate of Civil Protection, firefighting units across the country had already battled 913 separate fires nationwide between July 8 and Wednesday.
