Rayan Aourram, the Moroccan boy, 5, at the centre of a rescue effort that captivated the world, was pronounced dead on Saturday night.
The boy had fallen 32 metres down a dry well. It was hours before his parents realised where he was and alerted the authorities.
Moroccan officials announced Rayan's death at about 10pm local time, shortly after rescue workers were able to extract him from the well.
The painstaking five-day operation to reach him was broadcast around the world.
Rayan’s parents were escorted to an ambulance at the site before he emerged.
His body was wrapped in a yellow blanket after it was taken out through a tunnel dug specifically for the rescue, AP reported.
King Mohammed VI of Morocco expressed his condolences to Rayan’s parents in a phone call. A statement from the royal court confirmed the death.
Footage on social media showed the scene after the body was recovered, with hundreds of distraught rescue workers and onlookers gathered at the site, praying and shining the flashlights of their phones into the air.
Rayan fell down the well in the town of Tamorot on Tuesday, sparking a round-the-clock rescue involving digging a hole alongside the narrow shaft to reach him.
Search crews first used five bulldozers to dig vertically to a depth of more than 31 metres, Morocco’s official MAP news agency reported. Then on Friday they started excavating a horizontal tunnel to reach the trapped boy. Experts in topographical engineering were called upon for help.
As workers inched closer to the trapped child on Saturday, the sound of earth falling was heard, near the area where rescuers were at work.
One workman was seen walking away from the area holding his face as onlookers called out prayers.
Rescuers were able to feed Rayan food and oxygen through an opening in the well, and they placed a camera on him to watch his progress.
Hundreds of technical experts, workers, journalists, volunteers and well-wishers watched the rescue mission at the site and on live streams.
“I pray and beg God that he comes out of that well alive and safe,” his mother Wassima Kharchich had told the Moroccan news outlet 2M. “Please God, ease my pain and his, in that hole of dust.”
Journalists broadcasting the rescue mission on Facebook Live filled the air with prayers for Rayan and praised the sense of unity that the tragedy had brought among Moroccans.
A reporter for local outlet ChoufTV welled up with tears as he described the scene, and often expressed feeling a tightness in his chest as the tension mounted in anticipation of Rayan's appearance through the mouth of the tunnel.
The final phase of the rescue mission was the most dangerous.
Topography experts assisted with the technical side of the delicate operation, during which soil collapsed at various stages.
Members of Morocco's Auxiliary Forces cordoned off the area to keep crowds and reporters at a safe distance.
Overnight on Thursday, more rescuers, including members of the Moroccan Red Crescent, joined the operation and dug under floodlights.
An official from the rescue team said on Thursday that as the well became deeper, it also narrowed to a diameter of a little more than 30 centimetres.
Rayan's father, Khalid, said his nephew had, through the camera, seen the boy eating. He said he was touched by the outpouring of support for Rayan's ordeal.
"Many people did not sleep, they stayed up with us and I thank them," he told reporters on Thursday.
The hashtag #SaveRayan in Arabic and English trended across North Africa throughout the operation as tributes from diplomats, world leaders and celebrities flooded social media.
The family was yet to announce the date of the funeral, but according to Muslim tradition it must take place soon, in principle as early as Sunday.
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England ODI squad
Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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Rating: 2.5/5
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Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
The Indoor Cricket World Cup
When: September 16-23
Where: Insportz, Dubai
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
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6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200
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7.40pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
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8.15pm: Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Alkaamel, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
8.50pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Speedy Move, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Quartier Francois, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
SPECS
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Who are the Soroptimists?
The first Soroptimists club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921. The name comes from the Latin word soror which means sister, combined with optima, meaning the best.
The organisation said its name is best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.
Since then the group has grown exponentially around the world and is officially affiliated with the United Nations. The organisation also counts Queen Mathilde of Belgium among its ranks.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
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Quick facts on cancer
- Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, after cardiovascular diseases
- About one in five men and one in six women will develop cancer in their lifetime
- By 2040, global cancer cases are on track to reach 30 million
- 70 per cent of cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income countries
- This rate is expected to increase to 75 per cent by 2030
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strategies
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Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
