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Algeria civil defence recovers body of 10-year-old boy from well
Confirmed
In Short: A 10-year-old boy in Algeria's western province of el-Bayadh died after falling into a dry well, ending a four-day rescue operation that drew national attention.
The body of a 10-year-old boy, Ayoub, was recovered from a dry well in Algeria's western province of el-Bayadh after a four-day rescue effort that had garnered significant public attention.
Ayoub fell into the well on Wednesday while walking home in the village of Errokn, in the municipality of Ghassoul, stepping on a wooden board that gave way beneath him. The well was approximately 80 meters deep and 40 centimeters in diameter.
Rescuers were unable to descend into the well, so they dug a parallel shaft to reach the boy through a horizontal passage, using machinery and technical experts. Authorities in el-Bayadh formed a crisis response unit involving civil protection, security, and military personnel.
Large crowds of residents gathered near the site over the following days to follow the operation and offer support to the family, while additional civil protection units were deployed as the rescue entered its decisive phase on its fourth day. The incident has sparked public debate in Algeria over the safety of unsecured wells in rural areas, with commentators questioning the lack of regulation covering such structures, particularly in isolated regions.
What's confirmed
What's still developing
- The agency said in a statement on Facebook on Saturday that rescue teams reached the boy, Ayoub, who had died, and recovered his body.
- Screen grab CAIRO – 6 September 2026: A 10-year-old Algerian boy tragically died on Saturday after spending four days trapped in a dry well in the southwestern province of El Bayadh amid an intensive rescue operation.
- Algeria’s Civil Protection announced Saturday evening that rescuers had located the boy and recovered him dead, bringing an end to an operation that had drawn widespread attention across the country and beyond.
- The parallel excavation was completed around midnight between Friday and Saturday, after which a Civil Protection officer descended to begin digging a horizontal tunnel toward the location where Ayoub was believed to be trapped.