Devastated Family Lead Tributes After Four-Day Well Rescue Ends In Tragedy

The family of Rayan Awram, a Moroccan boy who died after falling down a well, have led tributes after the four-day rescue operation ended in tragedy.

Rayan, a five-year-old from Ighara, fell down the shaft on Tuesday, February 1. The week saw search crews working around the clock to try and save the child from the 100ft well, spending three days digging a parallel ditch, before creating a horizontal tunnel to reach the area where Rayan was trapped, all while trying to avoid a landslide.

Last night, February 5, he was finally carried out of the tunnel by emergency workers and taken away wrapped in a yellow blanket. While his initial recovery sparked relief, the Moroccan royal palace confirmed he'd passed away before rescuers could reach him.

Mohamed Awram, a cousin of his father, said, 'What can I say? I can't express my feelings. I was happy he was recovered. I can't express how I feel now.'

King Mohammed VI also sent his condolences to the boy's family. According to the palace, he had been 'instructing officials to use all means necessary to dig the boy out of the well and return him alive to his parents'.

His mother, Wassima Kharchich, previously told local media, 'I pray and beg God that he comes out of that well alive and safe. Please God, ease my pain and his, in that hole of dust.'

Other condolences and messages of support have also been shared online as #SaveRayan trended on social media. 'Tonight, I want to tell the family of little Rayan and the Moroccan people that we share their pain,' French President Emmanuel Macron wrote.

All On The Board shared a message written in a London Underground station, which read, 'Rest in peace Rayan... you were the bravest boy and your name will never be forgotten. It's hard to find the right words to say for this heartbreaking tragedy; if love and hope were enough to rescue you, right now you would be at home. May you feel safe and protected forever by the light in paradise above, as you fly free.'