News summary produced by Claude AI
A fire at a foster care home in Algiers resulted in eleven deaths and nineteen injuries, according to statements from Algeria’s civil protection department. The incident occurred in the early morning hours on Thursday, with emergency responders arriving at the scene around 03:30 local time. Firefighting efforts continued for more than three hours as crews worked to bring the blaze under control.
The civil protection authorities deployed significant resources to manage the emergency, sending ten fire engines and sixteen ambulances to the facility. Additional details regarding the specific ages of those killed or injured were not included in official statements at the time of the initial report. According to the authorities, five individuals with special needs who were at the facility were safely removed from the building and transported to secure locations.
The fire occurred during a period of elevated fire risk across Algeria. The country has been experiencing an extended heatwave lasting several days, which has contributed to widespread fire activity throughout the region. News agencies reported that approximately one thousand fires had been recorded across the country within a single week, highlighting the severity of conditions at the time.
In response to the incident, Algeria’s Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb visited two hospitals in Algiers where individuals injured in the fire were receiving treatment. State media documented the visit with photographs showing the prime minister alongside a child patient at one of the medical facilities, underscoring the government’s acknowledgment of the tragedy.