Horror orphanage blaze leaves at least 11 dead and 19 injured in Algeria as neighbours hear ‘children screaming’

ELEVEN people have been killed in a devastating inferno at an orphanage in Algeria.

The terrifying blaze broke out in the Mohammadia district of the Algerian capital in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The country’s civil protection department said 19 others were injured in the ordeal.

Emergency crews – 10 fire engines and 16 ambulances – rushed to the scene, desperately trying to extinguish the flames.

Children’s screams could reportedly be heard coming from the burning building as firefighters worked to rescue those trapped inside.

Ten of the injured suffered burns of varying severity, while crews evacuated five people with disabilities to safety.

Daylight revealed the full extent of the damage with windows blackened by smoke.

It remains unclear what caused the fire, while the names and ages of the victims have not been disclosed.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune called the incident a “tragic loss”, offering his condolences to families of the victims.

Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb also travelled to two hospitals where the patients were being looked after.

An investigation is ongoing to determine the exact circumstances of the tragedy.

Algeria has been gripped by a heatwave in recent days with temperatures reaching 35C.

Nearly 1,000 fires have been recorded in the space of a week.

On Thursday morning, the department said it had recorded 115 wildfires in the past 24 hours.

This comes as at least 14 children were killed after a ceiling collapsed at a tuition centre during construction work in Pakistan.

According to reports, eight of the children were aged between five and 16-years-old.

Rescue officials say more than 30 children were inside the private tuition centre when the roof gave way.

Construction work was ongoing on the building’s upper floor while classes were being held below.

In the aftermath of the horror collapse, two people were taken into custody.

Deputy Inspector General Kamran said investigators were now collecting evidence, vowing strong action against anyone found responsible for negligence.

A spokesperson for the rescue operation said: “The children are very young in age, and there were two rooms in use.

“The ceilings collapsed and trapped the children.”