A fire at an orphanage near Algiers on Thursday resulted in the deaths of 11 children and injured 19 others, according to Algerian authorities. The blaze occurred around 3:30 a.m. at a two-story child-care facility in Mohammedia, located in the eastern suburbs of the capital.
Officials have not released the ages of the children affected, nor have they reported any casualties among the adults at the institution. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Rescue teams were able to safely evacuate five children with reduced mobility from the building. Several of the injured were taken to a specialized burn treatment hospital, said Lieutenant Colonel Nassim Bernaoui, the communications chief for Algeria’s Civil Protection agency.
The incident marks one of the deadliest recent fires affecting a facility for vulnerable children in the region. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fire.