Algerian boy found dead after four days trapped in well

Rescuers in Algeria recovered the body of a 10-year-old boy on Saturday after he was trapped for four days in an 80-metre-deep well, civil protection authorities said.

Authorities identified the boy only by his first name, Ayoub. Civil protection authorities announced on Saturday evening that “the child was found and recovered dead”.

Ayoub had fallen into the dry well near his home in the desert municipality of Brezina in El Bayadh province, about 550 kilometres south of Algiers.

Authorities said the traditionally dug well was only 40 centimetres wide, making rescue efforts difficult. While the operation was still under way, rescuers said they were struggling to reach him because he was trapped beneath a thick layer of soil.

Images released by authorities and local media showed heavy machinery digging a large pit alongside the well in an attempt to reach him. The rescue effort had drawn widespread attention in Algeria, with many people posting calls on social media for Ayoub to be saved.