Fire at orphanage in Algeria kills 11 people, including children 

A fire at a child welfare facility in Mohammadia, east of Algiers, has killed 11 people, including children, and injured 19, according to emergency services and local media reports.

The state Civil Protection agency said the blaze broke out at approximately 3:30am local time (02:30 GMT) on Thursday inside the Childhood Relief Institution. The state-run institution operates as a residential care centre and sanctuary, providing shelter, medical care, and social support to orphans, abandoned minors, and children with special needs.

First responders treated 10 people for burns of varying severity and two for severe respiratory distress from smoke inhalation, according to a Civil Protection statement. Seven others were treated for severe psychological shock. Field teams evacuated five residents with special needs to a safe location.

Bystander video footage shared online showed dozens of residents gathered at the scene to follow rescue efforts. Official images released by the Civil Protection showed emergency responders working amid heavy smoke to contain the fire in the corridors of the building and evacuate residents.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune offered condolences in a social media post, saying he had received ⁠news “of the deaths of children and ⁠the injuries of others”.

Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb visited the Mustapha Pacha University Hospital in Algiers to check on the condition of the injured and oversee their medical treatment, Algerian newspaper Algerie Patriotique reported.

Firefighting and search operations have concluded, and security and judicial authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire, local media reported.