In brief
A fire broke out at a foster care facility in Algiers, killing eleven people and injuring nineteen others. Emergency responders were still battling the flames by early Thursday. Five children with special needs were evacuated to safety. The incident occurs during a heatwave that has sparked nearly 1,000 fires across Algeria.
Eleven people have died in a fire at a foster care facility in Algiers, Algeria's capital.
Health and safety officials say 19 others were injured while firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze around 06:50 local time (05:50 GMT) on Thursday. The ages of those killed or wounded were not disclosed.
Among the affected were five children with special needs, who were reportedly taken into care and moved to safe locations. Algeria is in the midst of a heatwave, which has led to almost 1,000 fires in a week, according to the AFP news agency.
Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb visited two hospitals in Algiers to see the injured, photographed standing beside a child in a hospital bed.
