JEDDAH: King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have sent cables of condolences to Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune after 11 people died due to a fire at an assisted childhood institution in Algiers, the Saudi Press Agency has reported.
The fire broke out at the childcare facility in Mohammadia, a town in Mascara Province, before dawn on Thursday. Algerian police said it was caused by an electrical spark from an air-conditioning unit which had been in continuous operation during a heatwave, according to Agence France-Presse.
Eleven people died, including a 52-year-old caregiver, and 19 others injured, Algeria’s civil defense has said. The authorities have not said how many children are among the dead.
King Salman and the crown prince both expressed their deepest condolences and sincere sympathy to Tebboune, the families of those who died, and the people of Algeria. They prayed for mercy and forgiveness for those who died, patience and solace for their families, and a speedy recovery for the injured.
The blaze was one of several fires reported in northern Algeria during a week in which nearly 1,000 fires broke out across the region, most of them later contained, AFP reported.
Summer forest fires are a recurring problem in northern Algeria, exacerbated by drought and climate change. In recent years, such fires have killed dozens of people, destroyed thousands of hectares of forest and farmland, and damaged homes.
