First picture of tragic five-year-old boy who died in well in Morocco

06.02.2022 - 13:29 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk

The first picture of the five-year-old child who died after falling down a well in Morocco has been revealed.

The boy, named Rayan, plunged more than 30 metres through the well's opening on Tuesday as he played nearby.

This past week the world watched anxiously as rescuers mounted a desperate four day mission to bring the little boy to safety in Chefchaouen, northern Morocco.

READ MORE: Boy who was rescued from deep well in Morocco has died, says King

As reported in the The Mirror, video from the scene showed a large convoy of emergency workers and volunteers carrying the little boy to an ambulance after he was finally freed from the bottom of the well.

His rescue initially sparked a huge outpouring of joy, but devastating reports soon confirmed that he had not survived.

TV network 2M reports that King Mohammed VI had called Rayan's parents to offer his condolences.

The monarch had been closely following the rescue effort, but was informed of its heartbreaking conclusion, the network stated.

Hundreds joined efforts to save Rayan as news of his plight spread, and medics were on hand as teams got closer to him.

Workers with mechanical diggers carried out the delicate and dangerous operation, but were constantly delayed by rocks and imperilled by the threat of landslide.

Anxious locals gathered with Rayan's family around the rescue site, where they sang "god is greatest" as they prayed for good news.

Pictures on Moroccan media earlier showed Rayan huddled at the bottom of the disused well, which narrows as it descends from 45 cm (18 inches) wide at the top, preventing rescuers from getting down.

Workers in helmets and high-visibility vests carried stretchers, ropes and other equipment down into a trench they dug parallel