Algerian orphanage fire kills 11, injures 19

Police officers stand guard after a fire ravaged an orphanage in Algiers, Algeria, on July 16, 2026. Eleven children were killed and 19 others injured in a fire that broke out Thursday morning at an orphanage in the Algerian capital Algiers, authorities said in a report. (Photo by Billel Bensalem/Xinhua)

ALGIERS, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Eleven children were killed and 19 others injured in a fire that broke out Thursday morning at an orphanage in the Algerian capital Algiers, authorities said in a report.

According to the provisional report, 10 of the injured people suffered burns of varying degrees, two had breathing difficulties, and seven were in shock. The 10 most seriously injured individuals have been transported to hospital after receiving initial treatment at the scene.

The cause of the devastating fire has not yet been determined. ■

This photo taken on July 16, 2026 shows an orphanage after a fire in Algiers, Algeria. Eleven children were killed and 19 others injured in a fire that broke out Thursday morning at an orphanage in the Algerian capital Algiers, authorities said in a report. (Photo by Billel Bensalem/Xinhua)