Tragedy Strikes: Fire at Algerian Orphanage Kills 11 Children
Fire at Algerian orphanage kills 11 children – A devastating blaze has claimed the lives of 11 young children and left 19 others injured at an orphanage facility near Algeria’s capital city. The emergency occurred early Thursday morning when flames rapidly spread through a two-storey building housing vulnerable children. According to official statements from Algeria’s Civil Protection agency, the fire erupted at approximately 3:30 am local time, which corresponds to 4:30 am CEST. The incident took place in Mohammedia, an eastern suburb of Algiers, where the orphanage is located.
Witness Accounts and Rescue Operations
Local residents described the harrowing scene as the fire consumed the building. “We heard screams and voices coming from the burning orphanage, and then I saw that the flames had begun to engulf the place and the girls were inside,” recalled one eyewitness. Yassin Ibrize, a nearby resident who witnessed the tragedy, added that he ran out without a shirt on while trying to help. Ibrize said he heard the commotion when the fire broke out and immediately rushed to rescue children trapped inside the burning structure.
Rescue teams worked tirelessly to save those still inside the building. Five children with reduced mobility were safely evacuated by emergency responders. Several of the injured were subsequently transported to a specialist burns hospital for treatment. Lt. Col. Nassim Bernaoui, head of communications for the Civil Protection department, provided updates on the rescue operations. Security officials have since guarded the entrance to the orphanage, whose window frames were left charred by the intense fire.
“It is with a heart resigned to the will of Allah that I learned of the death of children and the injuries suffered by other children of Algeria following the fire that broke out in a childcare institution,” said President Tebboune.
The timing of this tragedy proved particularly poignant, as the fire occurred on Algeria’s National Children’s Day. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who was on an official visit to Berlin at the time, quickly expressed his condolences to those impacted by the disaster. His statement reflected both personal grief and national sorrow over the loss of young lives.
The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation by local authorities. Emergency services have secured the area while investigators examine potential origins of the blaze. The orphanage facility, which houses both children with special needs and able-bodied residents, continues to operate with temporary arrangements for displaced children. Community members have begun organizing support for the affected families and injured children as the city mourns this heartbreaking loss.
