‘My heart is aching’: Devastated family of tragic five-year-old Rayan speak out as tributes pour in from across the world after five-day Morocco well rescue ends in tragedy
Tributes have flooded in for the five-year-old Moroccan boy who died after being trapped more than 100ft underground for four days after rescue teams confirmed the tragic end to a search that had gripped the world.
Rayan Awram fell into a 105ft (32-metre) well outside his home in Ighran village, in the northern province of Chefchaouen, on Tuesday evening - sparking a race-against-the-clock rescue mission. After digging vertically and then horizontally - all while risking a landslide - rescuers and resuscitation experts finally reached the boy last night, offering a faint glimmer of optimism that he might have survived the ordeal.
But the anxious wait for news of five-year-old Rayan ended in tragedy for his family, after government officials confirmed the young boy could not be resuscitated, adding that he had died before rescuers could reach him.
Speaking after Rayan's death was confirmed on Saturday his aunt, Atiqua Awram told local media: 'My nephew, my heart is aching for him, too much. May God be with him, just like how God stood with us.'
The boy's body was seen wrapped in a gold blanket after he emerged from a tunnel dug specifically for the rescue operation.
Morocco's King Mohammed VI sent his condolences to the Awram family and praised both the rescue crews and local community for their valiant efforts over the past week. Supportive messages were also shared online as the hashtag #SaveRayan trended on Twitter.
French President Emmanuel Macron added his voice to the tributes, writing in a Facebook message late on Saturday: 'Tonight, I want to tell the family of little Rayan and the Moroccan people that we share their pain.'
Heartbreaking: The body of five-year-old Rayan Awram is placed into the back of an ambulance, but he could not be resuscitated
Tragic: Little Rayan Awram, aged five, was found dead on Saturday night following a four-day rescue mission to save him after he fell down a well
Heartbreaking: A beaming Rayan Awram, whose body was recovered on Saturday evening
Morocco's King Mohammed VI (pictured in 2019) sent his condolences to the Awram family and praised both the rescue crews and local community for their valiant efforts over the past week
Dozens nervously watch as Rayan is transferred from the rescue site to an ambulance
Devastated: Rayan's parents walk to ambulance after their son's body was recovered 
Heart-stopping moment little Rayan is rushed to an ambulance underneath a gold blanket
Dramatic moment rescuers huddle as the body of little Rayan is brought to the surface
Little Rayan was swiftly removed from the scene by rescue teams donning red helmets
Security had to be increased at the site after thousands of villagers gathered to watch the dig reach its final stage
Dramatic moment Rayan is rushed to an ambulance after being discovered by rescue teams
An ambulance carries 5-year-old child, Rayan Awram, who has been trapped for five days in a well, to a helicopter
Parents of 5-year-old Rayan walk towards the tunnel as their son's body was being retrieved - his father had said he would hold out hope until the end
The parents of 5-year-old Rayan walk toward an ambulance after seeing their son's retrieved body
Rescue workers carry tragic Rayan to an ambulance on Saturday night
People gather during the rescue operation of 5-year-old child, Rayan Awram, who has been trapped for five days in a well, near Chefchaouen, northern Morocco
Locals could be heard shouting 'Allahu akbar' or 'God is greatest' as rescuers began to remove the boy (pictured)
The moment little Rayan was pulled from the hole on a stretcher on Saturday night
Rayan is hoisted into the back of an ambulance on a stretcher in the hopes he can be resuscitated. He was later confirmed to have died.
News cameras capture the moment Rayan is hoisted into the back of an ambulance on a stretcher in the hopes he can be resuscitated. He was later confirmed to have died.
People look on as an ambulance drives away from the scene where rescue crews worked to pull five-year-old Rayan
A family watches a televised statement as it announces the death of 5-year-old Rayan and a call between King Mohammed VI and his parents
Rescue workers carry the body of 5-year-old Rayan and place it in an ambulance after it was recovered from a well in which he was stuck for several days
Rescue workers line up after the body of 5-year-old Rayan was placed in an ambulance
Rescue workers carry the body of 5-year-old Rayan and place it in an ambulance
An ambulance (pictured) was waiting to rush Rayan to the hospital
It came after a medical team were seen entering the tunnel with a stretcher, where they remained for over an hour on Saturday evening.
The boy's anxious - and now devastated - parents had been escorted to an ambulance before he was pulled to the surface.
King Mohammed has since sent them his condolences, state media reported.
Meanwhile tributes to the boy have been pouring in on social media next to the SaveRayan hashtag.
One wrote: 'Rayan may you rest with the angels... I wish you knew you were not alone all those days and that everyone around the world was praying for your safe return. Morocco did you proud.'
Another said: 'Rest in peace, tears stream around the world for Rayan tonight - no regrets please from his rescuers because they honestly did everything they could to save that little boy!'
The world had watched on with bated breath as fears persisted that the cave could collapse at any moment during the tense four-day dig.
Moroccan media earlier reported that resuscitation specialists entered the tunnel alongside rescue crews, fuelling fears that the five-year-old required life-saving medical care.
Experts had warned that it was 'impossible' to confirm if the youngster was still alive, having fallen into the well five days ago, as the rescue team finally reached the stranded boy on Saturday afternoon.
Oxygen and water had earlier been given to the child, but it is not known if he was able to use them.
Onlookers applauded, sang religious songs and prayed. At one stage, they chanted in unison 'Allahu akbar' or 'God is greatest' as rescuers prepared to finally enter the cave for the final push Saturday.
Earlier on Saturday morning, the head of the rescue committee, Abdelhadi Temrani, said: 'It is not possible to determine the child's condition at all at this time. But we hope to God that the child is alive.'
Pictured: The site where rescuers were working to reach a five-year-old boy trapped in a well in the northern hill town of Chefchaouen, Morocco, in this still image taken from a video and obtained by Reuters on February 5, 2022
Tractors dig through a mountain as they take part in a rescue mission of a 5-year-old boy who fell into a hole in the northern village of Ighran in Morocco's Chefchaouen province, Friday, Feb. 4, 2022
Bystanders watch as Moroccan emergency teams work to rescue five-year-old boy Rayan from a well shaft he fell into on February 1, in the remote village of Ighrane in the rural northern province of Chefchaouen on February 4, 2022
Rescuers start to horizontal drilling operation as they continue to work to save 5-year-old boy trapped in a well in Chefchaouen, Morocco on February 5, 2022
A view shows a well into which a five-year-old boy fell in the northern hill town of Chefchaouen, Morocco February 5, 2022
Rescuers stand near the hole of a well into which a five-year-old boy fell in the northern hill town of Chefchaouen, Morocco February 5, 2022
Rescuers work to reach a five-year-old boy trapped in a well in the northern hill town of Chefchaouen, Morocco
Moroccan emergency services teams work on the rescue of five-year-old boy Rayan from a well shaft he fell into on February 1, in the remote village of Ighrane in the rural northern province of Chefchaouen on February 5, 2022
The complex, slow and risky earth-moving operation gripped residents of the North African kingdom and even sparked sympathy in neighbouring Algeria, a regional rival. Pictured: Rescue workers prepare large piping to create a tunnel
People gather as rescuers work to reach a five-year-old boy trapped in a well in the northern hill town of Chefchaouen, Morocco February 5, 2022
A general view shows the site where rescuers are working to reach a five-year-old boy trapped in a well (pictured bottom-right) in the northern hill town of Chefchaouen, Morocco February 5, 2022
A massive trench was dug into the hill next to the well, leaving a gaping hole in the reddish earth. By Saturday morning they were digging horizontally towards the well, and installing PVC tubes to protect against landslides and get the boy out.
A glacial cold has gripped this mountainous and impoverished region of Rif, which is at an elevation of about 700 metres. As time went on, fears persisted over whether Rayan would have been recovered alive.
'We're almost there,' said one of the operation's leaders, Abdesalam Makoudi, earlier on Saturday, adding: 'Tiredness is kicking in, but the whole rescue team is hanging on.'
On Saturday, experts used a rope to send oxygen and water down to the boy as well as a camera to monitor him, but did not provide information about his condition.
On Friday, camera footage from the frantic rescue operation showed the boy lying at the bottom of the shaft, and he appeared to be breathing.
'I pray and beg God that he comes out of that well alive and safe,' his mother Wassima Kharchich told local television station 2M. 'Please God, ease my pain and his, in that hole of dust. The whole family went out to look for him then we realised that he'd fallen down the well,' she added, with tears in her eyes.
His father, who said he was repairing the well when the boy fell into it, was pictured nervously watching the rescue mission late on Friday night and into today.
'I keep up hope that my child will get out of the well alive,' Rayan's father told 2M on Friday evening. 'I thank everyone involved and those supporting us in Morocco and elsewhere.'
Scores of townspeople and others gathered to help and watch the rescue efforts. Nationwide, Moroccans took to social media to offer their hopes for the boy's survival, using the hashtag #SaveRayan which has brought global attention to the rescue efforts.
Thousands of people gathered around the site, surrounded by olive trees, where AFP reporters said the tension was palpable. Some applauded to encourage the rescuers.
The shaft, just 45 centimetres (18 inches) across, was too narrow to reach Rayan, and widening it was deemed too risky - so earth-movers dug a wide slope into the hill to reach him from the side.
The operation made the landscape resemble a construction site. It involved engineers and topographers, and was made more complex by the mix of rocky and sandy soils.
Red-helmeted Civil Defence personnel were at times suspended by rope, as if on a cliff face.
Pictured: Emergency service teams above the large pit watch on as their colleague continue their work. Behind them, a large crowd also watches over as the rescuers inch closer to the boy at the bottom of the well
People watch as Moroccan emergency services teams work on the rescue of five-year-old boy Rayan from a well shaft he fell into on February 1, in the remote village of Ighrane in the rural northern province of Chefchaouen on February 5, 2022
A member of the Moroccan emergency services teams works on the rescue of five-year-old boy Rayan
His father (pictured), who said he was repairing the well when the boy fell into it, was pictured nervously watching the rescue mission late on Friday night
The rescue mission was said to be entering its final stages in the early hours of Saturday morning
A member of the Moroccan emergency services gestures as teams work on the rescue of five-year-old boy Rayan from a well shaft he fell into on February 1, in the remote village of Ighrane in the rural northern province of Chefchaouen on February 5
Working non-stop through the darkness overnight, under powerful floodlights that gave a gloomy air to the scene, workers dug a horizontal tunnel to reach the pocket where Rayan was situated.
Search crews first used five bulldozers to dig vertically to a depth of more than 31 metres, according to Morocco's official MAP news agency.
Then on Friday, they started excavating a horizontal tunnel to reach the trapped boy as experts in topographical engineering were called upon for help.
Work had to be temporarily halted over fears the ground surrounding the well could collapse, but it was later resumed.
Medical staff, including specialists in resuscitation, are on site to attend to the boy once he is pulled out, with a helicopter on standby to transport him to the nearest hospital.
The Moroccan government previously said all efforts were being made to help save the boy.
The drama has sparked an outpouring of sympathy online, with the Arabic hashtag #SaveRayan trending across North Africa.
'Rescuers are literally in the process of moving a mountain to save little #Rayan. I hope that their efforts will not be in vain and that those who prayed for him will see their prayers answered,' one internet user wrote.
The boy's fate attracted crowds of people to the site, where parked cars lined the roads around the village and supporters are camping.
Police reinforcements had to be sent, and the swarm of onlookers sometimes impeded the rescuers' efforts.
Authorities called on the public to 'let the rescuers do their job and save this child.'
But one volunteer said he was there to help. 'We've been here for three days. Rayan is a child of our region. We won't leave until he's out of the well,' he said.
The accident echoes a tragedy in Spain in early 2019 when a two-year-old child died after falling into an abandoned well 25 centimetres wide and more than 70 metres deep.
Julen Rosello's body was recovered after a search and rescue operation that lasted 13 days
Rescuers continue to work to free 5-year-old boy trapped in a well in Chefchaouen, Morocco, early on Saturday morning
Horizontal drilling was carried out in attempts to save the five-year-old boy, who has been stuck since midday on Tuesday
Rescue teams have continued efforts to extricate the boy for 76 hours in Chefchaouen, Morocco (pictured Saturday morning)
The rush to save the boy was reaching a critical stage on Friday. Pictured: rescuers continuing to work to free the five-year-old
Moroccan authorities and firefighters work to rescue five-year-old boy Rayan, who is trapped in a deep well for over two days, near Bab Berred in Morocco's rural northern province of Chefchaoue. Diggers continued working overnight in an attempt to free the boy
Authorities said the mission was nearing its end overnight, with spokespeople reporting around 3am GMT that there was less than 20ft of earth left to dig to reach him. Pictures from the scene overnight showed multiple diggers delving deep into the earth from multiple directions in order to reach the boy, as small crowds gathered on the edge of the ever-growing pit
Moroccan authorities and firefighters work to rescue five-year-old boy Rayan, who is trapped in a deep well for over two days, near Bab Berred in Morocco's rural northern province of Chefchaouen on February 3, 2022
Pictured: Moroccan authorities and firefighters work to get five-year-old child Rayan out of a well into which he fell on Tuesday, in the region of Chefchaouen near the city of Bab Berred
Rescuers prepare part of a tunnel that will be used to access little Rayan as the search reached a critical stage on Friday night
Residents watch civil defense workers and local authorities attempting to rescue Rayan as search entered third day Friday
Moroccans were still waiting anxiously on Thursday evening after authorities and firefighters launched the dramatic operation to save the boy from the deep well. Authorities tonight said the mission was nearing its end
Pictures and video from the scene today showed multiple diggers delving deep into the earth from multiple directions in order to reach the boy, as small crowds gathered on the edge of the ever-growing pit
The shaft that the boy fell down on Tuesday was too narrow for rescuers to reach the bottom, so heavy diggers were dispatched to dig a hole alongside it. It has been over 40 hours since the boy fell
Rayan's father told Le360 he had been repairing the well when the boy fell into it.
Lead rescuer Abdelhabi Temrani told Al Oula television that the diameter of the well was less than 45 centimetres.
Baitas said the nature of the soil meant it was too dangerous to try to widen the hole, meaning major excavations around it were the only solution.
The drama has sparked an outpouring of sympathy online, with the Arabic hashtag #SaveRayan going viral across the North African region, including in neighbouring Algeria.
'The heart of every Moroccan is with this angel,' one person wrote on Twitter.
The boy's fate also attracted crowds of people to the site of the operation, putting pressure on rescuers operating in 'difficult conditions', Baitas said.
'We call on citizens to let the rescuers do their job and save this child,' he said.
Authorities have also prepared a helicopter to take the child to hospital once he is extracted, national news channel 2M said.
Pictured: Video captured of a screen showing a camera's footage as it was lowered down into the well where the boy fell 100ft. The shaft was too narrow for rescuers to go down themselves, so they were forced to dig down the side of the well in an attempt to reach the boy
On Thursday afternoon, news website Le360 said that 'only nine metres' (30 foot) remained to be dug 'that will allow rescuers to reach the boy'
Residents watch in concern as civil defense and local authorities dig in a hill as they attempt to rescue a 5 year old boy who fell into a hole near the town of Bab Berred near Chefchaouen, Morocco, Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022
Rescue operations are underway by Moroccan authorities and firefighters to get five-year-old child Reyan out of a well into which he fell some two days earlier, in the region of Chefchaouen near the city of Bab Berred, Morocco, 03 February 2022
The case of 'Baby Jessica' who fell down a well in Texas
Rayan's ordeal in the well has drawn comparisons to the case of Jessica McClure Morales, famously known as Baby Jessica, who fell into a well in her aunt's backyard in Midland, Texas, in October 1987 at the age of 18 months.
For 58 hours, rescuers worked to successfully free her from the 22-foot (6.7 metre) deep well.
As in Rayan's case, rescuers decided to dig in parallel to the well where Jessica was lodged because, with an 8-inch (20cm) well opening, it was too narrow for them to simply drop down and reach her. They then drilled another horizontal cross-tunnel to reach her - but not without difficulty.
Rescuers found that the well was surrounded by rock and the local oil drillers and rescuers' jackhammers could not hit through.
The horizontal tunnel was eventually created through the use of waterjet cutting, an industrial tool which uses an extremely high-pressure of water and an abrasive substance to cut through rock.
Jessica was finally rescued when paramedic Robert O'Donnell inched his way into the tunnel and pulled the toddler free from her awkward position pinned inside the well with one leg above her forehead.
When rescuers finally brought her to the surface, she was covered with dirt and bruises, and her right palm was stuck to her face. 
When rescuers finally brought her to the surface, Baby Jessica was covered with dirt and bruises, and her right palm was stuck to her face
Jessica (left after she was pulled out of the shaft) also lost a toe to gangrene because one leg was pinned above her head in the underground shaft
As in Rayan's case, rescuers decided to dig in parallel to the well where Jessica was lodged because, with an 8-inch (20cm) well opening, it was too narrow for them to simply drop down and reach her. They then drilled another horizontal cross-tunnel to reach her - but not without difficulty
Jessica, now 35, has said in the past that she has little memory of being wedged in the pipe or of the 15 operations that followed her ordeal.
A scar from her hairline to the bridge of her nose is still visible however where her head rubbed against the wall of the well.
Jessica also lost a toe to gangrene because one leg was pinned above her head in the underground shaft.
Moroccan emergency service climbers work to rescue five-year-old boy Rayan from a well shaft he fell into on February 1
Emergency workers are pictured preparing a tunnel which will be used to access the boy horizontally
Hundreds of villagers gathered on Friday as they anxiously watched the rescue mission unfold
The rescue attempt has captivated the entire North African nation (Pictured: Nervous villagers watch the mission from the sidelines)
The rescue effort has captivated the nation with the hashtag #SaveRayan trending across social media (Pictured: Bystanders watch as Moroccan emergency teams work to rescue the five-year-old boy)
Pictures from the scene showed multiple diggers delving deep into the earth from multiple directions in order to reach the boy, as small crowds gathered on the edge of the ever-growing pit.
Meanwhile, footage showed rescuers sending cameras down the well's shaft to monitor the boy's situation, as the rescuers turned on floodlights to continue their efforts overnight.
On Thursday local media reported that he had taken food and water that was dropped down to him using a rope.
On Thursday afternoon, news website Le360 said that 'only nine metres' (30 foot) remained to be dug 'that will allow rescuers to reach the boy'.
The MAP news agency said rescuers had been able to send him oxygen and water via pipes.
Pictured: The hole of a well is seen in the foreground where the boy is said to have fallen 100ft, while in the background diggers work from multiple angles in an attempt to rescue him
Residents watch in concern as civil defence and local authorities dig in a hill as they attempt to rescue a 5 year old boy who fell into a hole near the town of Bab Berred near Chefchaouen, Morocco, Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022
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