ALGIERS / Abbas Mimouni / Anadolu

Algeria on Thursday, in an atmosphere of sorrow and grief, buried the bodies of children who died in a fire at the Institution for Assisted Childhood in the municipality of El Mohammadia in the capital, which resulted in the death of 11 people and injury of 19 others.

Prime Minister Sifi Gharib, on behalf of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, attended the funeral ceremony of the fire victims, accompanied by members of the government and senior state officials, at the Sidi Rezine Cemetery in the municipality of Baraki, east of the capital Algiers, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's office.

The statement added that the bodies of 10 children were laid to rest at the Sidi Rezine Cemetery in the presence of their families, while the family of the 11th victim handled the burial at the Bou Douaou Cemetery in the province of Boumerdes (50 km east of the capital).

It noted that the Prime Minister prayed for the souls of the fire victims, expressing his condolences to their families.

Early Thursday, the General Directorate of Civil Protection announced the outbreak of a fire at an orphanage in the municipality of El Mohammadia, east of the capital Algiers.

In a statement, it said the fire resulted, in an initial toll, in the death of 11 people and injury of 19 others, without revealing the causes of the outbreak.

It explained that among the injured were 10 people with burns of varying severity, two cases suffering from shortness of breath, and seven others who suffered psychological shock.

It is noteworthy that President Tebboune, who is on an official visit to Germany, offered his condolences to the victims' families.

A heatwave is hitting several Algerian provinces and is expected to continue until Friday, according to a statement from the meteorological services.

In recent years, Algeria has been experiencing drought waves and rising temperatures, increasing the risks of forest and vegetation fires.

Widespread fires in the country over the past years have caused dozens of deaths and injuries, as well as damaging large areas of forests and vegetation.

The recurring fires have pushed authorities to tighten penalties against those responsible for igniting them, reaching in some cases up to 30 years in prison.