Teen missing for 26 years found in neighbour's cellar, just 100 metres from home

A man who went missing 26 years ago at the age of 17 has been found alive just 100 metres from his home in Algeria. According to the New York Post, Omar Bin Omran was rescued from his kidnapper's house after disappearing on his way to school in 1998. Now 45, Omar was found in the basement beneath his neighbour's floor, resembling a sheep pen. The 61-year-old kidnapper, who lived alone, has been arrested. A video circulating on social media shows the moment security forces rescued Omar on Sunday (May 12). In the footage, Omar, sporting a lengthy beard, appears trembling as he is assisted out of the cellar. Watch the video here:

NEW: Man who disappeared 27 years ago at the age of 17, found alive 200 meters from his family's home in a neighbor's cellar.

Insane.

Omar Bin Omran of Algeria disappeared 27 years ago. He went missing in 1998 on his way to a vocational school.

A 61-year-old is in police… pic.twitter.com/idkvSCykmh — Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 15, 2024

× "The Djelfa Attorney General's Office informs the public that on May 12 at 8pm local time it found victim Omar bin Omran, aged 45, in the cellar of his neighbour, BA, aged 61," The National quoted Algerian prosecutors as saying. Officials said the individual responsible for this "atrocious act" will face severe punishment. Police were alerted to the situation when the brother of a neighbour hinted on social media that his sibling might be involved in the kidnapping, amidst a dispute over inheritance. Upon searching the neighbour's residence, officials uncovered a hidden trapdoor beneath hay on the floor, behind which Omar was found, as per the Post report. The kidnapper is also accused of killing Omar's pet dog. Omar received medical attention at a local hospital following his rescue. Also read | India: Girl fakes own kidnapping to demand ransom money from parents to travel abroad

Decades-long search

Despite assumptions from other family members that Omar had died during the country's civil strife in the 1990s, his mother continued to search for him until her death in 2013. According to Algerian news outlets, Omar conveyed to family members that he sometimes saw them pass by through a window in the abductor's home but was unable to communicate with them, as if under some sort of spell. Also read | What is cyber kidnapping? How to protect yourself from the ‘disturbing criminal trend’? (With inputs from agencies)