Huge rescue effort to save little Rayan, 5, who fell down 32m deep well in Morocco

4 February 2022, 07:54

Rayan, 5, has been trapped down the well for two days and a huge rescue operation is under way
Rayan, 5, has been trapped down the well for two days and a huge rescue operation is under way. Picture: Getty/Social media

By Asher McShane

Rescue workers in northern Morocco are frantically digging to try and rescue a five-year-old boy trapped in a 32m (105ft) deep well.

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The boy, Rayan, has been trapped in the well, located in the northern village of Ighran in Morocco's Chefchaouen province, since Tuesday evening.

According to reports by Morocco's official MAP news agency, rescue workers have used five bulldozers to dig a hole parallel to the well in an attempt to reach the boy, identified as Rayan.

Local officials said rescue workers have so far reached 19 meters in an attempt to reach the boy.

A huge rescue effort is under way to save the boy
A huge rescue effort is under way to save the boy. Picture: Getty

According to MAP reports, the rescuers are monitoring the trapped boy with CCTV cameras. He is being supplied with oxygen and water through pipes that were lowered to him.

Abdel Hadi Temrani, a member of the rescue committee, told local TV news channel 2M that medical staff are on site to attend to the boy once he is lifted from the well. A helicopter is on standby to transport the boy to the nearest hospital.

The boy is being supplied with food, water and oxygen as diggers make their way towards him
The boy is being supplied with food, water and oxygen as diggers make their way towards him. Picture: Getty

Khalid Agoram, the boy's father, told another local broadcaster that he had been looking for his son for a few hours on Tuesday before discovering that he had fallen into the well.

The whole country is praying for the boy's safe rescue and #SaveRayan is trending on Twitter
The whole country is praying for the boy's safe rescue and #SaveRayan is trending on Twitter. Picture: Getty

Moroccan government spokesperson, Mustapha Baytas, said on Thursday that the government is closely monitoring the situation in Ighran, studying different ways to help save the child.

Thousands of Moroccans took to social media to express their sympathy with the boy and his family. The hashtag #SaveRayan has been trending for hours in Morocco and Twitter posts have brought global attention to the rescue efforts.

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