A devastating fire tore through an orphanage in Mohammadia, a suburb near Algeria's capital Algiers, overnight, killing at least 11 people and injuring 19 others.

Authorities confirmed the fatalities on Thursday, stating that some children were among those who died in the blaze. Emergency services rushed to the scene to battle the flames and rescue victims.

The inferno struck in the early hours of Thursday morning, igniting an official probe into its cause. The incident comes as Algeria grapples with an intense heatwave and a wave of nearly 1,000 recent blazes recorded across the country.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, currently on a trip to Berlin, expressed his profound condolences to the victims' families. Algerian officials have launched a full investigation to determine the exact circumstances that led to the deadly fire.

The heatwave has intensified concerns over fire safety and emergency response capabilities in Algeria. The high number of recent blazes has stretched resources, making containment efforts particularly challenging.

The Mohammadia orphanage tragedy adds to the growing toll of incidents during what has been a difficult fire season for the North African nation.