A boy (5) fell 32 meters into a borehole. It’s a miracle that little Rayan is still alive. The rescue operation is a nerve-racking marathon and very complicated.
- Forces in Morocco have been trying to save a little boy since Tuesday (February 1st) by all means.
- Rayan (5) fell into a well 32 meters deep.
- The drama triggered a wave of sympathy.
Update from February 5, 10:48 a.m.: Little Rayan has been in the dark for more than 70 hours. The five-year-old fell into a well on Tuesday afternoon. Emergency services in Morocco have been trying to get to the boy for days. It’s a nerve-wracking phase. So far it has not been possible to free the child.
During the night, however, the rescue operation took another important step forward. A horizontal link — about two or three meters away, a spokesman for the rescue operation at the scene said in a statement to the press at 4:30 a.m. Saturday morning. The rescuers want to build this connection with the help of concrete rings. More hours have now passed.
Is Rayan still alive? Nothing was initially known about his condition on Saturday. Moroccan media reported that rescuers managed to put oxygen and water at the bottom of the well on Thursday evening. Recordings showing this circulated on Twitter. Morocco’s National Press Council (Le Conseil National de la Presse – CNP) on Friday called for respect for journalistic ethics in media coverage of the rescue of the child Rayan. It condemned the publication of the recordings of the minor in this difficult human situation and pointed out, among other things, a violation of the law. People around the world are following the rescue operation. Thousands of onlookers gathered on site.
Morocco: Rayan (5) trapped in a 32 meter deep well for days
Update from February 4th, 4:48 p.m .: The last few meters are extremely delicate. The ground is brittle and rain makes it difficult to rescue little Rayan. Drilling had to be halted on Friday shortly after a partial collapse, local media reports.
The five-year-old was not drinking or eating and may have fallen into a coma, said rescue leader Abdelhabi Temrani, as reported by Arab News . He still has hope that Rayan is alive. A police helicopter is ready to transport the child to a hospital as quickly as possible.
Boy (5) falls into a 32-meter borehole: rescuers see only one “only chance” – mother in tears
Update from February 4th, 3:55 p.m .: The pressure on the emergency services is growing. The final phase of Rayan’s rescue is at hand. There are still 50 centimeters to reach the little boy. Two rescuers dig a tunnel by hand. Countless onlookers have now gathered at the scene of the accident.
Little Rayan accidentally fell into the narrow, dried-up well near the family home in a village near the town of Bab Berred in Chefchaouen province on Tuesday. The accident happened “in a moment of inattention”, Rayan’s father described the event in local media. He just wanted to repair the well.
Her boy suddenly disappeared while playing, the mother reported on Friday with tears. “The whole family immediately started looking for him and then we realized that he fell into the well.” She still has hope that Rayan will be rescued alive.
February 4 update 1:56 p.m .: Is Rayan’s rescue imminent? The wait seems unbearable. The boy (5) fell 32 meters into a well. For three nights the little one was locked there in the depths in the dark. Rescuers try relentlessly to get to the child. The fountain drama moves people in Morocco and beyond its borders.
Apparently there is only one meter left to dig, local media reports. The rescue workers want to have achieved this goal within one to two hours, they say. The work is risky, there is a risk of landslides. A specialist is to dig the tunnel by hand to reach little Rayan. The five-year-old has been stuck in the well in the village of Ighran in northern Morocco since Tuesday. Through the shaft he is supplied with water and food.
Update from February 4, 12:53 p.m .: The excavators suddenly stand still. A user named Ricardo Tex is currently sharing a live stream on YouTube. After a break it seems to be going on again. The recordings are a bit blurry, in between you can hardly see anything, then the picture is there again. “I only stop when Rayan is saved,” writes the YouTuber Ricardo in his comments. Apparently he is actually close to the action, in the crowd waiting for little Rayan to be rescued.
It is initially unclear whether the rescue of the five-year-old is imminent. Also, how close the rescuers are to little Rayan. Is it two meters or just one meter? Rayan is trapped at a depth of 32 meters. When the emergency services have reached this depth, they will immediately start drilling horizontally. Drilling is risky. The excavation work is therefore interrupted from time to time.
Rayan is still alive. The boy is supplied with oxygen and water by rescue workers. Videos of this can be seen on social media.
Morocco: Rayan (5) falls into a borehole – footballers hope and fear – all the latest news
Update from February 4, 10:30 a.m .: The clock is ticking. A medical team is on site to provide Rayan (5) with first aid immediately. A police helicopter is also ready to fly the child to a hospital. The little boy is still trapped 32 meters deep in a well. The rescue very difficult. The fountain is only 45 centimeters in diameter. Excavators are now digging a hole next to the well. The goal is to get to Rayan via a horizontal shaft between the new hole and the well to free him. It was the only solution, according to the rescuers. It is hoped that the rescue hole will be 32 meters deep in the next few hours.
The drama surrounding Rayan has attracted many people to the scene of the accident. You can observe the emergency services at close range. They are waiting for news about the fate of the child. The rescue of the five-year-old is spreading under the hashtag #saveRayan on social media. Moroccan footballer and PSG star Achraf Hakimi is also affected by Rayan’s misfortune. On Instagram he mentions the rescue operation. He posted a symbolic photo of the rescue on his Insta story along with emojis of a broken heart and hands in prayer. Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez shared a picture of Rayan on Facebook alongside the hashtag “Stay Strong”.
Boy (5) falls into a 32 meter deep borehole: the whole country is worried about Rayan – rescuers are digging into the depths
First report from February 4, 2022: Rabat – The little boy has been trapped in a borehole for more than 40 hours. Emergency services in Morocco are trying to save Rayan. It’s a race against time. The five-year-old has been trapped in a 32-meter-deep well since Tuesday afternoon.
Drama in Morocco: Boy (5) falls into a 32 meter deep borehole
The accident happened “in a moment of inattention”, Rayan’s father described in local media. He just wanted to repair the well. That’s when the accident happened. Little Rayan accidentally fell into the narrow, dry well near the family home. The house is located in a village not far from the town of Bab Berred in the province of Chefchaouen (Morocco).
Little boy fell into well – rescue operation very complicated
The rescue teams have been in action for more than two days and are tirelessly trying to save the boy. Descending into the well is impossible because “its diameter is no more than 45 centimeters,” rescue operation leader Abdelhabi Temrani told state TV Al Oula.
Rescuers had also considered “increasing the diameter of the well, but that was not possible due to the nature of the soil, which could lead to a landslide,” government spokesman Mustapha Baitas said. So the only solution was to dig around the well.
Child caught in 32-meter shaft: This is how the rescue should work
The MAP news agency reported that the emergency services have already dug a “more than 27 meters” deep shaft. It is hoped to “get to 32 meters in the next few hours before a 3 meter horizontal connection is dug between the hole and the well to recover the child.” A team of doctors was dispatched to “perform initial examinations and resuscitation measures on the child as soon as it is rescued”. A helicopter is ready to fly the child to a nearby hospital. According to MAP, rescue workers were able to “dive water and oxygen to Rayan via hoses.”
The whole village fears for the fate of little Rayan (5)
The rescue work was intensified on Thursday evening around the well in a village in the north of the country, as reported by the AFP news agency. They could last until morning.
Misfortune is reminiscent of Julen († 2) in Spain
The incident, which aroused great interest across North Africa, is reminiscent of the fate of two-year-old Julen in Spain in 2019. At that time, the boy had fallen 100 meters deep into a borehole with a diameter of only 25 centimeters *. However, his body was not discovered until 13 days later. (afp/ml) *Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
Header list image: © FADEL SENNA / afp
