11 Killed In Algerian Orphanage Fire Amid Severe Heatwave
A devastating fire at an orphanage in Algiers has resulted in at least 11 deaths, including children, amid a severe heatwave affecting northern Algeria. Authorities are investigating the cause as the country struggles with nearly 1,000 wildfires recorded over the past week.
Why it matters
The tragedy highlights the human cost of extreme weather events and the strain on emergency services in regions vulnerable to climate-driven disasters.
A fire burning at an orphanage in Algeria's capital has killed at least 11 people including children, authorities said Thursday, amid a heatwave that has sparked hundreds of blazes in the country's north.Firefighters had been battling to extinguish the flames since before dawn in the Mohammadia suburb of Algiers."At around 3:00 am, we heard the fire engines arriving and the children screaming," said Abdessalam Merrah, 41, who lives nearby. "We helped as much as we could, but unfortunately we were told that 11 people had already died."An AFP journalist saw black stains around the building's windows on Thursday morning.
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