A fire at a children's orphanage in Mohammadia, a suburb on the outskirts of the Algerian capital Algiers, has killed 11 people and injured 19 others, shocking the country and prompting calls for accountability. The blaze began overnight on Tuesday and was caused by an air conditioner, according to police. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune confirmed that several children were among the dead, though the ages of all victims have not been officially released. Five children with reduced mobility were safely rescued during the emergency response.

Victims were laid to rest on Thursday at a ceremony in Bakari, near Algiers, where members of Algeria's civil defence carried flag-draped coffins to the gravesite. Prime Minister Sifi Ghreib and other senior government officials attended the burial. Investigators are continuing to probe the cause and circumstances of the fire, with authorities also examining whether additional safety measures are needed to protect vulnerable facilities during periods of extreme heat.

The tragedy has unfolded during an intense summer heatwave that has fuelled nearly 1,000 fires across northern Algeria in the space of a week, according to the Civil Protection agency, most of which have since been contained. The scale of the crisis has amplified public anger over the orphanage blaze, with many questioning whether proper safety standards were in place.

Opposition figures and journalists have led the outcry. The opposition Jil Jadid party called for a transparent investigation, legal accountability for any negligence or safety failures, and a nationwide review of fire safety standards at orphanages, care homes, hospitals and schools. Journalist Akram Kharief described the incident as a "national tragedy" and called for fire safety audits across all public institutions. Social media users questioned who had been supervising the children overnight, and some demanded resignations. Critics also noted the reported absence of the local mayor and provincial governor during the initial rescue operation.

Even pro-government voices acknowledged the need for answers, with one outlet calling for the truth to be established "without complacency" to determine whether the deaths could have been prevented. The disaster has placed a spotlight on the safety of state-run care facilities in Algeria and raised broader questions about institutional accountability during environmental emergencies.