ALGIERS — 2001 · Major Tragedy
Bab El Oued Flood Disaster
On 9-10 November 2001, hours of torrential rain in Algeria's capital sent torrents of mud and debris down from the hills west of the city. The worst destruction struck the crowded Bab El Oued district, built at the mouth of valleys that run down to the sea; cars, buildings and people were swept into the Mediterranean. According to the provisional official toll, more than 700 people died nationwide and dozens were listed as missing, the great majority in Bab El Oued. Thousands of buildings were damaged. Experts stressed that building over riverbeds and blocked drainage channels had magnified the disaster.
- Date
- 2001
- Place
- Bab El Oued, Algiers, Algiers, DZ
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 36.7920, 3.0510 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 9 November 2001Torrential rain began over Algiers.
- 10 November 2001Torrents of mud and debris devastated Bab El Oued.
- 26 November 2001The provisional toll passed 750 dead with thousands of buildings damaged.
- December 2001Authorities continued searching for the missing and rebuilding.
Sources
- MERIP — Algeria: flooding and muddied state-society relations merip.org ↗
- ReliefWeb — Algeria floods fact sheet reliefweb.int ↗
- Atlas Magazine — The deadly floods of Bab El Oued, 20 years already atlas-mag.net ↗
- ReliefWeb
- MERIP
- Atlas Magazine
Source grade B: at least one verifiable linked source. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.