Eleven dead in Algiers foster home fire amid heatwave

A blaze at a foster care home in Algiers, Algeria’s capital, killed 11 people and left 19 others injured. The Civil Protection department confirmed the deaths at 06:50 local time (05:50 GMT) and said firefighters were still working to extinguish the fire. The agency did not disclose the ages of those who died or were harmed.

During the fire, authorities reported that five residents with special needs were taken to care and transported to a safe location. The incident coincided with a heatwave that has already seen almost 1,000 fires ignite across the country in the past week.

Algerian Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb visited two hospitals in Algiers to oversee the treatment of victims, walking alongside a child in a hospital bed. The visit was accompanied by photographs intended to show the government’s attention to the crisis.

The tragedy raises questions about emergency preparedness for vulnerable populations and the impact of extreme weather on public safety infrastructure.