5 September 2026 | 22:02

READING TIME: 1 minute

Ayoub, the child who fell into an 80-metre-deep well on 2 September in the village of El Rokn in the El Gasour commune in southwest Algeria, has been found dead, the Civil Protection reported. Rescue operations had been ongoing for four days in an effort to reach the child, whose case had prompted strong emotion across the country. Appeals to save the boy, identified by authorities as Ayoub, multiplied on social media. The Civil Protection said in a statement that the child was “recovered dead”.

Earlier, rescuers had explained they were having difficulty reaching him, because the child had fallen into a well near his home in the village of El Rokn in the El Gasour commune in southwest Algeria and was “trapped under a thick layer of earth”.

In addition, the Civil Protection said the well was dry, had been dug using traditional methods and had a diameter of only 40 centimetres, making the rescue operation even more complex. Images released by authorities and local media showed heavy construction machinery digging a large pit next to the well to reach the child.