A devastating fire has claimed the lives of at least 11 people, including several children, after an orphanage in Algeria’s capital, Algiers, was engulfed in flames in the early hours of Thursday.

The deadly incident occurred in the Mohammadia suburb as Algeria continues to grapple with an intense heatwave that has triggered hundreds of wildfires across the country’s northern regions.

Firefighters responded to the scene before dawn and battled the blaze for hours in an effort to contain the flames.

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A nearby resident, Abdessalam Merrah, recounted the horrifying moments when the fire broke out.

“At around 3 a.m., we heard the fire engines arriving and the children screaming,” he said.
“We helped as much as we could, but unfortunately we were told that 11 people had already died.”

Authorities said the death toll is provisional, while 19 other people were injured in the fire. The cause of the blaze has not yet been established.

Images from the scene showed blackened window frames and heavy fire damage to the orphanage.

A witness said firefighters had to use a chainsaw to cut through metal window bars to gain access to parts of the building during the rescue operation.

Rachid Belhadj, head of the forensic medicine department at Mustapha Bacha Hospital, said several of the victims were burned beyond recognition, making DNA testing necessary to confirm their identities.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune later confirmed that “several children” were among those killed in the tragedy.

National television also broadcast footage of Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb visiting survivors receiving treatment at two hospitals in Algiers.

932 Fires Recorded in One Week
The orphanage tragedy comes as Algeria battles a severe heatwave that has fuelled widespread wildfires across the country.

According to the Civil Defence, 932 fires were recorded between July 8 and July 15, with the majority already extinguished while a handful remain active.

The worsening fire crisis has also claimed the life of a municipal worker who died while battling a wildfire in the northern province of Setif earlier this week.

To contain the fires, authorities have deployed more than 19,000 emergency personnel, over 700 fire trucks, six helicopters, and 12 water-bombing aircraft.

Residents have also been evacuated from several affected provinces, including Bejaia, Guelma, Bouira, and Mila, as emergency teams continue to battle the blazes.

Northern Algeria is hit by forest fires almost every summer, with experts pointing to prolonged drought and climate change as major factors behind the worsening outbreaks.

Authorities have also said they suspect some of the fires were deliberately started, with several suspects already taken into custody.

The fight against the deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) faces a major setback as frontline health workers have threatened to embark on an indefinite strike over months of unpaid salaries and allowances.

The protest comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the true scale of the outbreak could be between two and four times higher than official figures.

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According to the latest official data released on Tuesday, the outbreak, which was declared on May 15, has claimed more than 700 lives, with nearly 2,000 confirmed infections across the country.

Health workers stationed at the Ebola treatment centre in Rwampara, one of the hardest-hit areas in Ituri Province, staged a protest on Monday by burning tyres and temporarily blocking access to the facility.

“We’ve been treating Ebola patients without pay since May 15. We continue to do so because that is our oath but we are working in very difficult conditions,” doctor Pascal Bahoya said.

Medical personnel at the treatment centre warned that they would begin a “full-scale strike” without maintaining minimum services if authorities fail to honour their 48-hour ultimatum demanding payment of salaries and bonuses.

During a recent visit to Ituri, Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba admitted that there had been delays in salary payments and assured health workers that the organisational issues responsible for the delay would be resolved.

The outbreak has placed enormous pressure on the country’s fragile healthcare system. According to the National Public Health Institute (INSP), at least 112 healthcare workers have contracted the virus, while 35 have died.

WHO also raised concerns that the epidemic may be significantly larger than official records suggest. Speaking in Geneva, WHO emergencies director Chikwe Ihekweazu said the agency’s modelling indicates “the scale of the outbreak is at least two to four times the number of cases that we have found.”

The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola responsible for the current outbreak has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, although a clinical trial involving two experimental treatments is currently underway.

The disease has spread beyond its epicentre in Ituri to North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo and Haut-Uele provinces, while neighbouring Uganda has also recorded 20 cases, including two deaths.

As of July 12, authorities said 727 patients were receiving treatment in Ebola treatment centres across affected regions.

Eastern DRC continues to grapple with decades of armed conflict, mass displacement and poor sanitation, factors that have complicated efforts to contain the virus.

Despite the challenges, the international community has mobilised approximately $1.5 billion to support the country’s Ebola response, although officials say the DRC’s chronically underfunded healthcare system remains under severe strain.

Zambia’s Vice President, Mutale Nalumango, escaped unhurt on Thursday after the helicopter carrying her and seven other people crashed shortly after takeoff while on a campaign tour ahead of the country’s August 13 general election.

Nalumango, 71, said the helicopter went down moments after departing from a campaign rally in the northeastern town of Nakonde.

Speaking to Diamond TV online, she recalled the incident, saying, “After we lifted off, I don’t know whether it was a minute or two… and then we came down.”

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Despite the crash, the vice president said everyone on board survived without injuries.

“We were eight, and all of us are fine,” she said, adding that it was not immediately clear what caused the crash, although the helicopter was badly damaged.

Zambia is set to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on August 13, with President Hakainde Hichilema expected to seek a second term as head of one of Africa’s top copper-producing nations.

Following the incident, the Zambian government said Nalumango underwent a routine medical check-up and was discharged in good health.

Pictures shared on social media showed the white Air Force helicopter lying on its side after it apparently crashed into a tree.
Authorities have yet to establish the cause of the crash.