A Moroccan boy trapped in a well for four days did not survive, Moroccan state media reported after rescuers pulled his body out on Satu...
A Moroccan boy trapped in a well for four days did not survive, Moroccan state media reported after rescuers pulled his body out on Saturday.
The reports contained a statement from the royal court that the King of Morocco had called the boy’s parents to express his condolences.
The boy, named Rayan, had plunged more than 30 meters into the well near his home in the small village of Ighrane, about 60 miles from the city of Chefchaouen, on Tuesday afternoon.
For days, as the cameras lowered to the well-offered glimpses of hope – albeit bloodied, Rayan appeared to be moving – tens of thousands around the world watched for the child, posting encouragement on Twitter under the hashtag #SaveRayan.
Rescuers had worked day and night to try to extract the boy, first digging the shaft itself, then – when they feared its walls would collapse on top of him – bulldozing a giant trench next to the well up to a few meters from where it was stuck. .
Authorities say the well narrows as it gets deeper and the child was trapped in a narrow, cramped space they estimated was less than 20 inches in diameter.
Video from Friday night’s scene showed rescuers manually drilling sideways towards Rayan, their work illuminated by headlamps, as prayers and cheers erupted from the gathered onlookers.
Rain and hard rock that hampered drilling complicated the process overnight until Saturday, and work progressed slowly.
One of the rescuers, Abdelhadi Temrani, told reporters on Saturday morning he still had “high hopes” Rayan was alive, but workers said later in the day it was difficult to assess the death. state of the boy from the cameras. Mr Temrani said the camera showed the boy lying on his side.
Some onlookers had been sitting or sleeping overnight under nearby trees, waiting to witness the resolution of the crisis. Rayan’s family made couscous, the traditional Moroccan dish, and served it to the crowd. Others distributed bread and dates.
Rayan’s father said he was fixing the well, which he owns, when Rayan fell into it, but didn’t realize at first where the boy had gone.
His mother said the family searched the area when they noticed him leaving, not suspecting at first that he had fallen into the well.
Marc Santora contributed reporting from London.
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