On Tuesday (1 Feb), news of a Morocco boy trapped in a 32m-deep well sparked sympathy worldwide.
After a gruelling 5-day rescue operation, where workers toiled 24/7 to reach him, Morocco’s Royal Cabinet announced that the boy has been found dead on Saturday (5 Feb) night.
The tragic story of 5-year-old Rayan gripped the international community, and world leaders have given their condolences.
According to The Straits Times (ST), Rayan fell into a 32m-deep well in his home village near Bab Berred in the rural northern province of Chefchaouen last Tuesday (1 Feb).
He was reportedly playing in the nearby area.
The incident prompted an urgent rescue operation, where workers had to navigate treacherous conditions of the well and work round the clock to get him out.
Rescuers had difficulties reaching the bottom of the well as it was too low. During the process, they could use pipes to send the boy oxygen and water, but there was no indication that he could use them.
BBC reports that a camera was lowered into the depths of the well on Thursday (3 Feb), where rescuers could detect signs of life from the boy.
According to The Guardian, the operation had to slow down during the final stages as it became too risky for machinery to continue drilling.
Since the vibrations could cause the soil to collapse onto the boy, rescuers had to continue digging by hand instead.
Abdelhadi Temrani, the head of the rescue committee, said on Saturday (5 Feb) morning that it was impossible to ascertain if the boy was alive at this point.
Unfortunately, he was found dead on Saturday night. His body was recovered and taken away, wrapped in a yellow blanket.
As the rescue was ongoing, the Arabic hashtag #SaveRayan went viral in the North African region of Twitter.
When news of his death broke, people around the world sent their condolences and expressed sympathy.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Facebook that he shares the pain and grief with Rayan’s family and the Moroccan people.
Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob also extends his sincere condolences to Rayan’s family on behalf of Malaysians in a Facebook post.
What was to be another day of harmless fun for Rayan and his family ended in the tragic loss of the 5-year-old’s life.
As the village is peppered with hundreds of deep wells, we hope that the incident acts as a clarion call for authorities to secure the area and ensure that every well has a protective cover.
Hopefully, this will be the last tragedy we hear from the village.
MS News sends our deepest condolences to Rayan and his family. May he rest in peace.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Facebook and Reuters via The Guardian.
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