Algeria fire kills 11, including children, at Algiers foster care home

Eleven people, including children, have died in a fire at a foster care facility in Algiers, Algeria's capital, according to the country's General Directorate for Civil Protection cited by the BBC (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgwd4nz344o). The civil protection department said 19 others were injured in the blaze, which firefighters began tackling at 03:30 local time (04:30 GMT) on Thursday, and that ten fire engines and 16 ambulances were deployed to the facility in Mohammadia, an eastern suburb of the capital (BBC, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgwd4nz344o). President Abdelmadjid Tebboune expressed condolences, calling the incident a "tragic loss," while Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb travelled to two Algiers hospitals to visit the injured, state media reported (BBC, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgwd4nz344o). The fire struck as Algeria endures a days-long heatwave, with nearly 1,000 fires recorded in a week and 115 wildfires over the past 24 hours, according to AFP (BBC, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgwd4nz344o). Opposition figures demanded answers, with the Jil Jadid party calling for a transparent investigation and legal accountability for any negligence, while five people with special needs were moved to safety, the authorities said (BBC, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgwd4nz344o). *Source Reporters corrects errors promptly. Report corrections to corrections@sourcereporters.com.*