Algeria: Orphanage fire caused by AC unit spark

11 people, including children, have died in a fire at a state-run orphanage in Mohammadia, Algiers, on July 16^th after an electrical spark in an air-conditioning unit operating during Algeria’s heatwave, according to Reuters via The Directorate General of National Security.

The Civil Protection agency reported the fire at 3:30 am (02:30 GMT) on the 16th at the Childhood Relief Institution, a state-run care centre for orphans, abandoned minors, and children with special needs.

Online bystander footage captured dozens of residents gathered at the scene, observing the rescue efforts. Official images from the Civil Protection depicted emergency responders working in thick smoke to control the fire while evacuating residents. An AFP journalist reported seeing black stains near the windows on the morning of the 16th. A witness reported that firefighters used a chainsaw to cut through the metal bars of a window.

One nearby resident, Abdessalam Merrah, 41, said: “We heard the fire engines arriving and the children screaming.” He added: “We helped as much as we could, but unfortunately, we were told that 11 people had already died.”

The DGSN reported that forensic police experts and crime scene technicians inspected the site and determined the fire originated from an air conditioner that was operating continuously during Algeria’s heatwave.

Algeria‘s civil defence reports 19 wounded and 11 deaths. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said “several children” were among the dead, but no official numbers have been released.

He further offered condolences on social media, stating that he had received news “of the deaths of children and ⁠the injuries of others”.

Rachid Belhadj, head of forensic medicine at Mustapha Bacha Hospital, said on local TV that some bodies were completely burned and only identifiable via DNA testing.

Between July 8 and 15, state media reported that civil defence documented 932 fires. Most had been extinguished, but a few still burn. Some are linked to recent heatwaves, while others were reportedly started deliberately, leading to several arrests.

The civil defence announced they had mobilised over 19,000 personnel, 700 trucks, six helicopters, and 12 water-bombing aircraft to combat forest fires.

According to the APS state news agency, some residents in the provinces of Bejaia, Guelma, Bouira, and Mila have also been evacuated.

Each year, forest fires impact northern Algeria, a situation worsened by drought and climate change.

In recent years, fires have claimed dozens of lives, destroyed thousands of hectares of forest or farmland, and damaged numerous homes.

Opposition figures and social media users have called for answers from the authorities following the tragedy.