By John Ikani
A small boy trapped in a well in northern Morocco for five days died before rescuers were able to reach him late on Saturday and retrieve his body.
The devastating outcome of the rescue bid was made known in a statement released by the royal palace.
Moroccan King Mohammed VI expressed his condolences to the boy’s parents.
“Following the tragic accident which cost the life of the child Rayan Oram, His Majesty King Mohammed VI called the parents of the boy who died after falling down the well,” the statement said.
The boy plunged 32m (104ft) through the well’s narrow opening. The rescue had been hampered by fears of a landslide.
Rescuers finally brought the boy out of the well on Saturday evening.
No word had been given at the time about his condition, and the apparent rescue was initially met with cheers from the crowds.
On social media, people using the hashtag #SaveRayan, which had been trending across the country and beyond, expressed their jubilation.
But this turned to heartbreak minutes later when the statement came announcing that Rayan had died.
In a Facebook post, French President Emmanuel Macron wrote: “Tonight, I want to tell the family of little Rayan and the Moroccan people that we share their pain.”
Prior to the recovery of Rayan’s body, his mother told a state-owned television station that her son had been playing nearby before disappearing. He was discovered to have fallen into the well, located near his northern Moroccan home, after she heard his cries. Authorities were quickly called to help and rescue efforts were soon underway.
Throughout the ordeal, rescuers were able to use a rope to send food and water down to Rayan, which his father told local media he saw him drink. “He was moving and drank a little bit of water. I believe he will be okay, God help him,” he said.
Additionally, Rayan was supplied with oxygen via a tube, according to Reuters. “People who love us are sparing no effort to save my child,” his father said, per the outlet.
The mixture of rocky and sandy soils meant rescuers deemed opening the water well’s narrow shaft to be too dangerous.
Instead, bulldozers were used to cut a huge trench next to the well.
Rescuers then started digging horizontally to reach the boy. Some worked round the clock, using powerful floodlights during the night.
The operation had to be paused briefly several times to allow crews to check that the hillside was safe from collapsing and that no soil was entering the well. Large pipes were also used to protect rescue teams by providing a secure passage to the shaft.
Hundreds of people gathered to watch the operation, singing religious songs, praying and chanting “Allahu Akbar”. Some even camped at the site.
One local resident, Hafid El-Azzouz, told AFP news agency that he was there to show “solidarity with this child, who is dear to Morocco and the whole world”.
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