In brief
A fire broke out early Wednesday at a foster care home in Algiers, killing 11 people and injuring 19. Firefighters were still battling the blaze at 06:50 local time when the civil protection department issued the first casualties report. Five children with special needs were moved to a safe location while the rest of the injured were being treated at local hospitals. The tragedy comes as Algeria faces a severe heatwave that has spurred nearly 1,000 fires in weeks.
A blaze early Monday morning at a foster care home in Algiers killed 11 people and left another 19 wounded, according to the Algerian civil protection department. Firefighters were still clearing the building at 06:50 local time when the first casualty figures were released.
The department did not specify ages of those killed or injured, but it reported that five children with special needs were moved to a safe facility and transported to hospitals. The surviving 19 were receiving treatment in local wards.
Algeria is currently in the grip of a heatwave that has triggered almost 1,000 fires nationwide over the past week. Prime Minister Rached Ghrieb visited the hospitals where the injured were being treated and was photographed beside a child in a hospital bed.
The fire underscores the increasing danger faced by many facilities across Algeria amid rising temperatures and limited fire safety resources.
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