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Rabat – A fire broke out at an orphanage in the Mohammadia district on the outskirts of Algeria’s capital, killing at least 11 people.
The fire, which erupted early on Thursday, also caused injuries to at least 19 victims, as authorities continued efforts to put out the fire and rescue victims.
Firefighters continued rescue and recovery operations at the scene but did not immediately identify the victims or disclose their ages. The cause of the fire is still unknown.
Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune expressed condolences in a social media post, confirming that children were among the victims.
He said he received news of the “deaths of children and the injuries of others following a fire that broke out at a children’s care facility.”
Reuters quoted a witness, who lives in the Mohammedia neighborhood near the orphanage, as saying that residents rushed after hearing about the fire, which he described as “overwhelming.”
“Seeing this with your own eyes is not easy,” he said.
North Africa, including Algeria, continues to endure hot weather and rising temperatures.
Wildfires in Algeria have caused several deaths in recent years.
In August 2022, Algeria reported at least 26 deaths due to forest fires in its northern regions.
Dozens were also injured during the incident, with many people evacuated from their residences.
Algeria also experienced devastating wildfires in 2021, including in the Kabylia region. In August 2021, reports said the death toll had reached 90, including several soldiers who died while battling the forest fires.
Recent reports said the heatwave Algeria witnessed in recent days sparked civil defense interventions, with protection services extinguishing 913 fires nationwide since July 8.
