The boy fell into a 35-meter-deep well on Tuesday. Work was halted this morning for fear of a collapse. At around 3.30 pm Moroccan media reported that the excavations had ended and a medical team was trying to get Rayan out of the well.
Salvation is really near now. Moroccan rescuers descended on Saturday afternoon into the tunnel that should lead them to the place where the toddler Rayan is trapped. This is reported by the AFP news agency. The rescue workers are assisted by a medical team and an ambulance is waiting at the exit of the tunnel. A medical helicopter is said to be standing nearby.
At around four o’clock in the morning, an official spokesman reported that “the last meters” still had to be dug. Since Friday, the last horizontal piece has been dug out by hand because rescuers feared the well would collapse or soil would fall into the well due to erosion.
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In the course of that work, it is said that the rescuers collided with a large boulder that was between them and the boy. They worked all night to remove the boulder. By Saturday afternoon, that obstacle was also gone. At around 3:30 PM, several Moroccan sources reported that a medical team entered the tunnel to retrieve Rayan. An ambulance is also said to have arrived with the boy’s parents.
Condition unclear
Meanwhile, little Rayan is still trapped at a depth of 33 meters. It is unclear how he is doing. But according to official sources, the child is still alive and there is still contact. Oxygen is carried to where he is trapped and food is also brought down.
The child would have been injured in the head, according to video images made by a camera that was lowered. According to a spokesman for the rescue services, the boy has changed his position – he now sits with his back to the camera – and it is now more difficult to observe him.
It is unclear when the rescue operation can finally be completed. Since yesterday there has been talk of “a few hours” of work. However, it is more difficult than first thought. Also because it rained that night and because the rescuers have no oxygen at such depths. That delays the operation.
Hundreds of people have gathered at the well. Friday evening people had to install crush barriers to keep everyone at a safe distance. The danger of collapse is still real.