Moroccan boy trapped in well for four days dies

Moroccan boy trapped in well dies

A five-year-old boy who spent four days trapped in a 32m (105ft) deep well has died, Morocco's king has said.

Footage from the scene in the north of the country showed workers emerging from a tunnel - dug specifically for the rescue - carrying the child, Rayan Awram, on Saturday evening.

An Associated Press reporter at the scene saw him wrapped in a yellow blanket at his village of Ighara.

His parents were taken to an ambulance before he emerged.

In a statement, King Mohammed VI expressed his condolences to the boy's parents.

Two government officials said Rayan died before rescuers reached him.

Rescue workers have been digging around the clock since Rayan fell down the well on Tuesday night.

Search crews used five bulldozers to dig a vertical hole parallel to the one he was in before moving horizontally to reach him.

Efforts were paused temporarily on Friday over concerns that the ground surrounding the well could collapse.

On social media, thousands have expressed sympathy, with the hashtag #SaveRayan trending on Twitter for hours across the country.

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."

Initially, workers had been able to provide him with oxygen and water using a rope, but the narrow diameter of the hole caused problems.

Medical staff were on site from the start of the rescue, with a helicopter on standby.