At least 11 people were killed and 19 were injured after an orphanage caught fire in Algeria.
The blaze broke out in Mohammadia, a district of the capital, Algiers, early on Thursday, the country's civil defence said.
Among the injured, 10 suffered burns of varying severity, two were left with breathing difficulties, and seven received treatment for shock.
Five people with disabilities were taken to a safe location, the civil defence said. Firefighters remained at the scene. Authorities said the casualty figures were preliminary.
At least 10 fire engines, 16 ambulances, two aerial ladder trucks, and a rough-terrain intervention unit were sent to combat the blaze, along with reinforcements from the National Training and Intervention Unit.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune expressed his condolences and described the incident as a profound tragedy.
The president extended his sympathies to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to those injured. He prayed for God's mercy upon the children who lost their lives, according to a presidency statement.
Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb, accompanied by the ministers of Interior, Transport, Justice, Health, and National Solidarity, visited the Zeralda Burns Hospital and Mustapha Pacha University Hospital to assess the condition of those injured in the fire, according to state television.
Mr Ghrieb also conveyed his condolences to the families of the victims. "We extend our sincere condolences to the families of the victims and pray that God grants them eternal peace," he said.
The Prime Minister added that authorities had issued all necessary instructions to ensure the injured would receive full medical care and support.
Algeria has been gripped by an intense heatwave in recent days, with firefighters extinguishing 913 fires nationwide since July 8, state news agency APS reported on Wednesday.
