Say goodbye to Rayan, the boy who died trapped in a well in Morocco

After the shock generated in Morocco and the whole world by the tragic death of little Rayan, who died trapped in a well, the boy was buried on Monday near his village.

The gifts took place during the Muslim midday prayer in a cemetery a few kilometers from Ighran, the town where the accident occurred, journalists from the AFP in the place.

An imam said a short prayer in front of family and attendees, before his burial.

On Saturday night after five days, the remains of the child were removed and transported to the military hospital in Rabat, probably for an autopsy.

“The silence is terrible this morning in the town. Everyone was praying that he made it out alive, everyone cried, ”she told the AFP on Sunday a local close to the family.

On Sunday the portal of public television SNRT titled that “the fall of the child reminded the world of its values ​​of humanity.”

Abroad, Pope Francis sent a message stressing that the people of Morocco have united to save Rayan.

“They tried, unfortunately, they did not survive, but what an example they gave,” the pope said at the Angelus prayer held at the Vatican.

The fate of the child became a matter of national interest and it was the king’s office that announced his death on Saturday after the rescue. King Mohamed VI called the parents to offer his condolences.

One of the most emotional reactions came from the coach of the Algerian soccer team, Djamel Belmadi, who expressed his condolences to the family, at a time of tension between Algiers and Rabat.

“Our pain and sorrow are great, but they will never be comparable to what their parents and relatives suffer,” he wrote on the selection page.

Clandestine wells?

On Sunday, work began on filling the well and the emergency tunnel dug to try to save the child.

“It is a catastrophe, we hope that his soul rests in peace. We wish his parents and his whole family patience and comfort,” said a Rabat resident.

There were numerous tributes to the rescuers since the entire operation was broadcast live and followed closely by Internet users.

After the announcement of his death, tributes from all over the world multiplied on social networks.

“Little angel, you fought to the end, you are a hero,” a netizen told him on Twitter. Another user highlighted on the social network the “union” that the child’s drama generated.

Rayan accidentally fell last Tuesday into a dry well 32 meters deep. The narrow and difficult to access hole had been built near the house where the boy lived in Ighran.

Until Friday, the rescuers tried to give the child water and oxygen, without being certain that they had succeeded.

Since the drama became known, thousands of people have gathered and camped in solidarity in this town, located in a mountainous area of ​​the Rif, at about 700 meters of altitude.

Several media outlets denounced the proliferation of clandestine wells to irrigate crops, including cannabis plantations.

This accident recalls a tragedy that occurred in Spain in 2019 when a two-year-old boy died after falling into an abandoned well more than 100 meters deep in Andalusia. After a major operation, the remains of the minor were rescued after a deployment that lasted 13 days. (I)