A fire at an orphanage in Mohammedia, an eastern suburb of Algiers, has killed 11 children and injured 19 others, Algerian authorities confirmed on Thursday. The blaze broke out at around 3:30 AM local time (4:30 AM CEST) at a two-storey facility, according to the country's Civil Protection agency.
Residents reported hearing screams and seeing flames engulf the building. Yassin Ibrize, a neighbour, told local media: “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 said he rushed to rescue children trapped inside.
Lt. Col. Nassim Bernaoui, head of communications for the Civil Protection department, stated that five children with reduced mobility were safely evacuated by rescue teams. Several of the injured were taken to a specialist burns hospital. Security officials guarded the entrance to the orphanage, whose window frames were left charred by the fire.
Heatwave and Wildfire Context
The fire occurred amid a severe heatwave that has sparked nearly 1,000 fires across Algeria, according to authorities. While the cause of the orphanage blaze remains unknown, the extreme temperatures have heightened fire risks. This tragedy echoes similar incidents in southern Europe, such as the deadly wildfire in Andalusia that claimed 12 lives, and underscores the broader challenges of fire prevention during heatwaves.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune expressed his condolences to those impacted by the fire, which occurred on Algeria’s National Children’s Day. The incident has drawn attention to safety standards in care facilities across the region.
European readers may recall the deadly fire in a Brussels construction site lift shaft that killed several people earlier this year, highlighting that fire safety remains a pressing issue on both sides of the Mediterranean. As climate change intensifies heatwaves, such disasters are likely to become more frequent, prompting calls for better prevention measures.
