A rescue mission has been launched in Afghanistan to recover a nine-year-old boy who fell down a well.
The young child's situation echoes the recent tragedy of Rayan Awram, a Moroccan boy who died after falling down a 100ft well, with rescuers failing to get to him in time following the four-day operation.
The Afghan boy, named locally as Haidar, has been trapped down the 33ft well in Shokok village, Zabul province, for two days.
Officials from Afghanistan's Taliban government have shared photographs and footage of the child lodged in the well, currently unable to move his arms and upper body. 'Are you okay my son? 'Talk with me and don't cry, we are working to get you out,' his father can be heard asking in one clip, obtained by rescuers who lowered a camera down with rope. 'Okay, I'll keep talking,' the young boy replies.
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In other photos, rescue crews can be seen working hard at the scene, appearing to be digging an open slit trench at an angle so they can access Haidar, as the well itself is too narrow and dangerous for someone to go down and get him.
'A team is there with an ambulance, oxygen and other necessary things,' Abdullah Azzam, secretary to Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in the Taliban-run government, also tweeted.
According to recent reports, Haidar is still alive and even managed to get access to some food after it was lowered down the well.
Hashtags like #saveHaidar and messages of support have already started flooding social media. 'What is different between Moroccan boy Rayan Oram who had fallen into a well and this #Afghanistan boy who has fallen into a well and might die tonight in #Zabul! First one got a lot of attention among western media, for the 2nd one nobody cares! Why?', one user wrote.
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'The world needs to send help to Afghanistan and save a kid, who fell into a deep narrow well, from #Zabul Afghanistan does not have the equipment to rescue the kid. @elonmusk If you can read this, your help is required here, just like it did with the Thai boys. #SaveTheChild,' another wrote.
'Rayan has shed light on this problem, which is much more common than you think. The wells are not at all secure in most poor countries... states must take their responsibilities,' a third tweeted.
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Topics: World News
