Algeria.. after forest fires.. an orphanage fire leaves 11 dead and 19 injured and renews questions about safety procedures

AlgeriaA few days after a massive wave of fires swept through a number of Algerian states, the capital witnessed, today, Thursday, a new tragedy following the outbreak of a fire inside an institution for paramedic children (orphanage) in the municipality of Mohammedia, which resulted in the death of 11 people and the injury of 19 others, according to a preliminary toll announced by the Civil Protection Services.

This incident comes at a time when Algeria is still facing the repercussions of a severe heat wave that has caused the outbreak of hundreds of fires across various regions of the country, which has brought back to the fore questions regarding the readiness of risk prevention and response systems within public facilities, especially those that shelter vulnerable groups that need special protection.

The Algerian News Agency reported that civil protection teams were able to transfer 19 injured people to hospitals, including ten suffering from burns of varying severity, two suffering from breathing difficulties, while seven others suffered psychological shock, and five people with special needs were evacuated to a safe place.

The Algerian authorities have not yet revealed the causes of the fire, while extinguishing and investigation operations are continuing to determine its circumstances and determine the circumstances that led to this tragedy.

The accident comes days after the authorities announced that about a thousand fires had been recorded in various parts of Algeria within one week, in light of the high temperatures, which makes the orphanage accident a new link in the series of fires that the country is witnessing, and increases calls to strengthen prevention and safety measures within public institutions, especially those that receive children and the most vulnerable groups.

Source:“My press”