A fire at an orphanage in the Mohammadia district of Algiers, Algeria, killed 11 people, all reportedly children, and injured 19 others, authorities said. The blaze broke out at around 3:30 a.m. local time on July 16, 2026, at the Dar Al-Aytam Orphanage.
Emergency Response and Casualties
Algeria's General Directorate of Civil Protection reported that 10 people suffered burns of varying severity, two had respiratory distress, and seven were in a state of shock. Five children with special needs were evacuated from the facility. Ten fire engines, 16 ambulances, two ladder trucks, and a specialized rescue unit were deployed to the scene.
Colonel Boualem Boughlaf, Director General of Civil Protection, oversaw the firefighting operations. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Official Statements
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune confirmed that "several children" were among the dead, according to local news outlet Vanguard. The Algerian news site Algerie Patriotique reported that all 11 victims were children.
A statement from Civil Protection said: "Following the fire that broke out at the Dar Al-Aytam Orphanage in the municipality of Mohammadia, El Harrach district, the Civil Protection services intervened at 3:32 AM to extinguish the blaze. Ten fire trucks, 16 ambulances, two ladder trucks, and the GRIMP (Ground Rock Intervention Unit) were deployed."
Heatwave Context
Algeria has been experiencing a severe heatwave, with authorities reporting that more than 900 fires have been extinguished across the country since July 8. Images from the scene showed thick smoke billowing from the orphanage building as firefighters battled the flames.
