Algiers orphanage fire kills 11, injures 19

A fire at a state-run child care facility in Algiers killed 11 people, including children, and injured 19 others early Thursday, July 16, 2026. The blaze broke out before dawn in a dormitory at the Childhood Relief Institution in the Mohammadia district on the capital's eastern outskirts.

Emergency services responded to the scene around 3:00 a.m. local time. According to the Algerian Civil Protection authority, the fire resulted in 10 people suffering burns of varying severity, two experiencing breathing difficulties, and seven being treated for psychological shock. Five residents with special needs were evacuated to safety. The head of the forensic medicine department at Mustapha Bacha Hospital told local television that some of the bodies were so badly burned that DNA testing would be required for identification.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune confirmed that several children were among the dead and offered condolences to the victims' families. Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb visited survivors receiving treatment at the Zeralda hospital for severe burns and Mustapha Pacha University Hospital in Algiers. Speaking on behalf of the president, Ghrieb expressed the state's solidarity...