The high temperatures have sparked more than 1,000 fires across the country in recent weeks

An orphanage in Mohammedia, Algeria caught fire on Thursday, July 16.

At 3:30 a.m., the fire broke out, killing 11 people and injuring 19 others, head of communications for the Civil Protection department Lt. Col. Nassim Bernaoui said, the Associated Press reports. Sixteen ambulances and 10 fire trucks arrived at the scene, per the BBC.

Ten of the victims sustained burn injuries, while the remaining nine survivors suffered from respiratory problems or shock, The New York Times reports. Lt. Col. Bernaoui said several of the victims were taken to a hospital that specializes in treating burns.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune confirmed the victims were children in a social media post. No adult fatalities or injuries were reported by authorities, per the AP. The victims’ ages have not been shared.

Nearby resident Yassin Ibrize heard the fire and went to save the children, and safely rescued three girls. “We heard screams and voices coming from the burning orphanage, and then I saw that the flames had begun to engulf the place and the girls were inside. I ran out without a shirt on,’’ he said, per The Washington Post. “I did everything I could to save as many people as possible.”

His son, Amir, also tried to help. “When the screams intensified, I was the first one out,” Ibrize said. “I found an officer completely overwhelmed, and when I tried to go upstairs, there was too much smoke. I couldn’t get through.”

The July 16 fire comes amid an intense heatwave across Algeria, with the country having nearly 1,000 fires the past week, according to the Civil Protection agency, per the AP.

A funeral was held for the victims on Thursday, with several government officials, including the Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb, in attendance, per The New York Times.

Source: https://people.com/11-dead-19-injured-after-fire-at-orphanage-12021301