Africa-Press. Words of despair were uttered by the child Ayoub from inside a dry artesian well after he fell into it in the village of Rakan in the municipality of Ghasoul in the province of El Bayadh, southwestern Algeria. His ordinary moments turned into a tragedy, marking the beginning of one of the most challenging rescue operations that captured the breath of Algerians.
Ayoub, 10 years old, was on his way home when he walked over a wooden plank covering the well opening. The plank suddenly collapsed under his feet, causing him to fall into the depths of the well and disappear from sight.
Since that moment, a race against time began to reach him and save him from an unknown fate at the bottom of a narrow and deep well.
According to local civil protection, the well was dug traditionally, reaching a depth of about 80 meters, with a diameter of no more than 40 centimeters. It is not equipped with a casing pipe and is filled with dirt up to about 30 meters deep, where Ayoub became trapped under a thick layer of soil.
Since the discovery of his fall, civil protection teams have been working tirelessly to reach him. However, the narrow opening of the well, the fragility of the soil, and the risk of collapse made direct descent extremely dangerous. They opted for a more complex solution, which involved digging a parallel trench to the well and then attempting to reach the child from the side and safely extract him.
As hours passed, the digging efforts did not cease; additional personnel were deployed to support the teams, and significant human, technical, and logistical resources were mobilized. The operation continues under the supervision of the governor of El Bayadh and the director of civil protection, aiming to reach Ayoub as quickly as possible without further endangering his life.
Scenes from the rescue site
In the heart of these agonizing hours, scenes from the incident site documented part of the ongoing rescue efforts; teams worked tirelessly, and side digging operations were conducted with extreme caution, while anticipation loomed over the area with every advancement made in the digging operations.
The footage reveals the complexity faced by the rescue teams, as the nature of the terrain and the risk of collapsing soil surrounding the well require careful handling of every step, while the teams race against time to reach the child trapped in the depths.
As the digging operations continue, Ayoub’s family remains anxious for any information about his condition, while the child’s story has turned into a public issue in Algeria, capturing the hearts of thousands of followers who hold their breath waiting for a happy ending to these heavy hours.
Ayoub’s story recalls the tragedy of Rayan
As the rescue operation continues, Ayoub’s story evokes in the memory of Algerians and Arabs one of the most impactful tragedies of falling into wells; the tragedy of the Moroccan child Rayan, who fell into a deep well in 2022, with the world following the attempts to save him until the story ended in his death.
The similarities between the two incidents have made comparisons prevalent on social media; a small child falling into a narrow well, rescue teams digging into the ground to reach him, a family living hours of fear and waiting, and millions following every development in hopes of hearing news of survival.
But this time, with the fear of repeating Rayan’s tragedy, followers cling to hope, wishing that Ayoub’s story will have a different ending and that the rescue teams will succeed in reaching him and bringing him back safely to his parents.
As the rescue efforts continue, Algerians are actively engaging with the incident, as social media has turned into a space for prayers and solidarity with Ayoub and his family. Users have shared photos and videos from the rescue site, and many have followed the details of the operation moment by moment.
Bloggers noted that the hours Ayoub’s family is experiencing seem heavy for everyone following the story, considering that the scenes of rescue teams continuing to dig in extremely difficult conditions encapsulate the magnitude of the battle the rescuers are fighting to reach the child.
Activists agreed that Ayoub’s story has become more than just an accident of falling into a well; it has transformed into a humanitarian tale that Algerians are following with concern, hoping that Ayoub will emerge from the darkness of the well safely into the light and into the arms of his family.
