The public prosecutor in Algeria announced the arrest of seven individuals, who have been taken into custody pending investigation, following the drowning deaths of five children at a beach near the capital during a school trip on Saturday. The drowning incident, which occurred on Saturday evening, has elicited significant sympathy and shock among Algerians. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune expressed his condolences to the families and sent the Minister of Solidarity to comfort them.
A statement from the public prosecutor said: "The public prosecution ordered a thorough and detailed preliminary investigation into this incident and the circumstances surrounding it, particularly regarding the legal and organizational conditions related to the protection of children involved in such activities and ensuring their physical safety, while determining the responsibilities of anyone found to be involved in the incident."
It was added that the initial results of the investigation led to the arrest of "7 individuals who are under examination pending the completion of investigative procedures."
The children were from Medea Province, located about 90 kilometers south of the capital, with 60 of their classmates on a trip to the Siblat Park overlooking the sea and the nearby Great Mosque of Algiers. The ages of the children range from 8 to 12 years old, and they belong to the Mohammedi School in Medea Province, participating in a school trip to Algiers, similar to what various educational institutions organize for their students.
