Eleven children die in orphanage fire near Algiers amid regional heatwave
A deadly blaze at a childcare facility in Algeria has killed 11 children and injured 19, highlighting severe public safety vulnerabilities as extreme heat drives a surge in wildfires across the region.
Eleven children were killed and 19 others injured when a fire destroyed a two-storey orphanage in Mohammedia, an eastern suburb of Algiers, in the early hours of Thursday. The blaze broke out at approximately 3:30 am local time, according to Algeria’s Civil Protection agency.
The tragedy occurred against the backdrop of a severe heatwave that has already sparked nearly 1,000 fires across Algeria. While authorities have not yet determined the specific cause of this orphanage fire, the incident underscores the growing strain on public infrastructure and emergency response systems during extreme weather events. This poses broader questions about safety standards in vulnerable facilities across the region.
Rescue teams managed to safely evacuate five children with reduced mobility from the burning building. Several of the injured were subsequently transferred to a specialist burns hospital for treatment, said Lt. Col. Nassim Bernaoui, head of communications for the Civil Protection department.
Local residents were among the first to respond to the emergency before official crews arrived. Yassin Ibrize, a nearby resident, described hearing screams before seeing flames engulf the building. “We heard screams and voices coming from the burning orphanage, and then I saw that the flames had begun to engulf the place and the girls were inside. I ran out without a shirt on,” Ibrize told media, noting that he rushed to help rescue children trapped inside.
The disaster cast a heavy shadow over Algeria’s National Children’s Day. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who is currently on an official visit to Berlin, issued a formal statement of condolence to the victims and their families.
“It is with a heart resigned to the will of Allah that I learned of the death of children and the injuries suffered by other children of Algeria following the fire that broke out in a childcare institution,” Tebboune said. Security officials have since guarded the entrance to the facility, where window frames were left charred by the intense flames.
As Mediterranean and North African countries face increasingly frequent heatwaves, the resilience of public care facilities is becoming a critical economic and policy challenge. The Mohammedia fire highlights the urgent need for targeted investment in safety audits and upgraded emergency protocols for institutions housing vulnerable populations.
