At least 11 dead in fire at orphanage in Cezayir

At least 11 people were killed and 19 injured in a fire that broke out during the night at an orphanage in the suburbs of Cezayir, the capital of Cezayir. According to initial indications, the incident occurred at around 3 a.m. at the Child Protection Agency in the Muhammediye locality. Search and rescue and civil defense teams dispatched to the area quickly began working to extinguish the flames.

While the cause of the fire has not yet been clarified, authorities did not provide information regarding the ages of the deceased or whether there were children among the victims. Cezayir Prime Minister Sifi Griyeb visited the injured at Zeralda and Mustafa Başa hospitals, wishing them a speedy recovery. The severe heat wave experienced across the country is contributing to the increase in forest fires.

Cezayir is struggling with widespread forest fires due to the extraordinary heat wave affecting its northern regions in recent days. Between 8-15 July alone, civil defense teams recorded 932 fires across the country. In the region, which faces similar fire disasters every summer due to drought and high temperatures, dozens of people have lost their lives and large areas have been damaged in recent years.