Algerian PM among the mourners as victims of orphanage fire laid to rest

Eleven people killed in a fire at an Algerian orphanage were laid to rest on Thursday at a ceremony in Bakari, on the outskirts of Algiers.

Members of Algeria’s civil defense carried the flag-draped coffins to the gravesite.

Prime Minister Sifi Ghreib and other government officials were among the mourners.

The ages of the victims have not been released but President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said several children were among the dead. Nineteen others were injured in the blaze that began overnight on Tuesday in the Mohammadia suburb of Algiers.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.

Algeria has been experiencing a heatwave that sparked nearly 1,000 fires in the space of a week, according to the Civil Protection agency. Most have now been contained.

Authorities say they’re looking into additional safety measures to protect vulnerable facilities during periods of extreme heat.