El Bayadh: Civil Protection recovers body of young Ayoub

After four days of nonstop searches, Algeria's Civil Protection recovered the body of 10-year-old Ayoub from a dry artesian well in Ghassoul, in El Bayadh province. The operation, which had drawn nationwide attention, ended in mourning rather than the rescue many had hoped for.

Civil Protection said it worked closely with local authorities, other public services and private responders, deploying the personnel and equipment needed for the operation. Specialized teams began work after Ayoub fell into the narrow, dry well on Wednesday.

For four days, Algerians followed the rescue effort closely, watching updates with collective anxiety and hope for a positive outcome. After the child's death was confirmed on Saturday, the General Directorate of Civil Protection offered condolences to his family and wished them strength during their loss.

The report also described a separate dangerous rescue in Chlef province. In Bir El Safsaf, part of Oued Fodda, a 25-year-old man entered a well to save a goat and became trapped at a depth of about 13 meters. Civil Protection's specialized teams responded after the alert was raised around 8:30 p.m. They extracted the man alive and unharmed, along with the animal.