Algerians are in mourning for the ten individuals who lost their lives in water bodies across six different provinces, marking the heaviest toll in a single day. Civil protection services reported yesterday fatalities due to swimming in these pools lacking cleanliness and safety standards. By the end of the day, the total was four individuals aged between 14 and 20 years, along with one 38-year-old, across five disparate provinces: Tizi Ouzou, Djelfa, Blida, Sétif, and Annaba.
Simultaneously, another catastrophe occurred Saturday night into Sunday at the "Sablates" park in Algiers, resulting in the death of five children, while three others are in intensive care after drowning in the sea. The age of the children ranges from 8 to 12 years, all students of the Mohamed Ahmed school in Médéa province, who were on a school trip to Algiers, similar to activities organized by various educational institutions for their students.
Social media users expressed their frustration over these incidents that occur almost daily, leading to the deaths of ten people in one day: "Where are the local authorities regarding the lack of facilities in the interior provinces?" commented one individual, while another responded: "Yes, an investigation should be conducted into the negligence of officials in providing even the bare minimum rights; public spaces and sports and recreational facilities are not luxuries and should be constructed in all housing complexes." Others blamed parents for allowing their children to swim in unsafe water bodies: "How can children and teenagers swim in dangerous places without parental supervision?"
Regarding the "Sablates" incident, followers questioned why children were allowed to swim in a forbidden sea, especially since they were supposed to be accompanied by the organizers. Others called for an investigation: "Our children are not a game. Where were the organizers while the children were swimming in a prohibited sea in cold weather?"
This comes amid a lack of adequate swimming facilities, especially in non-metropolitan provinces, where water bodies, agricultural pools, reservoirs, and dams—often prohibited for swimming—become the only option for residents. Children, adolescents, and even young adults flock to these places during rising temperatures like those experienced over the past two days in some Algerian provinces. Comparable incidents occur almost daily in Algeria as summer approaches, yet the toll on Saturday is considered catastrophic, with ten lives lost at once.
