ALGIERS — A fire at an orphanage in the Mohammadia district of Algiers killed 11 children and injured 19 others on Thursday, July 16, 2026. The tragedy struck on Algeria’s National Children’s Day, compounding the national grief as rescue and medical teams responded to one of the deadliest incidents involving children in recent memory.

The fire broke out around 3:30 a.m. local time at the Fondation de l'Enfance Assistée, a two-story childcare institution located in Mohammadia, in the eastern suburbs of Algiers. Firefighting operations were still underway at 6:50 a.m. local time as emergency crews worked to fully contain the blaze. Rescue teams successfully evacuated five children with reduced mobility or special needs to safety during the operation.

Several injured children were transported to a hospital specializing in burns, with ten of the 19 injured suffering burns of varying severity. Authorities did not report any adult fatalities or injuries, and the ages of the child victims have not been released. The cause of the fire has not been identified by authorities, who continue their investigation into the incident.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune expressed condolences from Berlin, where he was on an official visit. “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,” Tebboune said. Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb visited survivors in hospitals in Algiers later that day to assess their conditions and coordinate state support.

The fire occurred against the backdrop of a severe heat wave gripping Algeria. Nearly 1,000 fires have been recorded across the country over the past week, with civil protection units extinguishing 913 fires nationwide since July 8. In the 24 hours prior to Wednesday morning, Algerian civil defense units responded to nearly 140 fires across the country.

Nessim Bernaoui, Head of Communications at the General Directorate of Civil Protection, attributed the surge in blazes to environmental conditions. “These major and dramatic fires were caused by the sharp rise in temperatures, the heatwave, and the violent winds that affected several regions,” Bernaoui said.

The orphanage fire represents a singular tragedy within a broader national emergency fueled by extreme weather. With Algeria recording nearly 1,000 fires in one week amid a severe heat wave, the incident underscores the strain on emergency response systems and the vulnerability of institutional facilities housing at-risk populations. The timing on National Children’s Day has intensified public attention and official response, prompting visits from the highest levels of government and immediate medical mobilization for survivors.

While the specific cause of the Mohammadia fire remains under investigation, authorities have linked the broader spike in fires to environmental factors, including high temperatures and strong winds. The event has triggered high-level political reactions and emergency health measures, reflecting both the human toll and the systemic challenges posed by worsening climate conditions.