Locals and emergency teams rushed to an orphanage in the Mohammedia district of Algiers province on Thursday following reports of a fire in the building.
Black masonry was visible above the two window openings behind the outer doors and emergency services were gathered outside.
What do we know about fire?
Authorities in Algeria said 11 people died and 19 others were injured as a result of the fire.
The Civil Protection Agency said ten of the injured suffered severe burns and emergency workers helped five disabled people safely leave the orphanage.
It did not immediately provide any information about the victims or their ages or the possible cause of the fire.
The fire appears to have started overnight, with locals saying they first heard the sound of fire engines at around 3am local time.
National television showed Prime Minister Sif Gharib visiting the wounded at two medical facilities in Algiers.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who was visiting Berlin for talks with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday, expressed his condolences in a social media post.
Tebboune said he had received “reports of the death of children and injuries to others in a fire at a child care facility.”
Hundreds of fires amid severe heat wave
Algeria suffered several days of extreme heat, with Civil Protection reporting 932 fires between 8 and 15 July.
It said most have been extinguished but some are still burning.
Civil defense said it had deployed more than 19,000 personnel and 700 trucks as well as six helicopters and 12 water-bombers to combat the wildfire.
Northern Algeria faces wildfires every summer but the phenomenon is becoming more severe due to drought and climate change.
Several suspects have also been arrested on suspicion of deliberately setting some of the fires.
Edited by: Dmytro Lyubenko
Don’t let algorithms hide news. If you rely on our team for reliable reporting, please take a moment Choose us as your favorite source on GoogleThat’s why you’ll always see our verified news first.