Morocco: Five-year-old boy trapped in well for about 100 hours has died

Footage from the scene showed rescue workers emerging from a tunnel - dug specifically for the rescue operation - carrying the child, Rayan Oram, on Saturday evening.

“Following the tragic incident that claimed the life of Ryan Oram, His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God protect him, made a telephone call with Mr. Khaled Oram, Ms. Wassima Kharchich, the parents of the deceased, who passed away, after falling into a well,” the Moroccan royal palace said in a statement.

The statement added that King Mohammed VI had expressed his condolences to the boy's parents.

While playing outside on Tuesday, five-year-old Rayan Oram fell into a well as his father was busy working nearby. His family looked for him, until they found the well without its cover, and with small footprints nearby, and then heard his voice. They confirmed his location using a phone camera they sent down and informed the local authorities. Traditional methods of rescue failed, so provincial authorities of Chefchaouen were informed.

The following day, volunteers tried to reach Rayan by going down the 32 m well. The well is 45 cm (18 in) wide at the top and gets narrower as it goes down, so direct rescue was impossible. Despite this, it was confirmed that Rayan was still alive. Authorities brought heavy machinery and started digging on the side of the well. Water, food, and oxygen were lowered down, as well as a camera to monitor the boy's condition.

On Thursday, the rescue team continued digging on the side of the well; the plan was to dig vertically to the same level as Rayan, then start digging horizontally. Rescuers dug very carefully, stopping at times to ensure safety and avoid a landslide.

The official spokesperson for the Moroccan government Mustapha Baytas said that the situation was being closely monitored by the Minister of the Interior, Abdelouafi Laftit, and the Minister of Health, Khalid Aït Taleb. A medical team, an ambulance, and a helicopter of the Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie were dispatched to the scene.

Diggers reached Rayan's level on Friday and began the more delicate task of digging horizontally. To avoid a landslide, axes and shovels were used, and again the digging was occasionally paused to ensure safety.

The incident attracted wide media coverage in both pan-Arab and international media, including articles on websites and channels such as the BBC, The Guardian, The New York Times, Der Spiegel, Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, and Le Parisien.

Several news outlets praised the response and support from the Algerian people, “despite current political tensions between Morocco and Algeria”. (ILKHA)