Mourners carry the coffin of Rayan Aourram, the Moroccan boy who died after being trapped inside a well, during his funeral near Chefchaouen in northern Morocco on February 7. EPA
Mourners carry the coffin of Rayan Aourram, the Moroccan boy who died after being trapped inside a well, during his funeral near Chefchaouen in northern Morocco on February 7. EPA
Grieving villagers waited for hours to attend the funeral prayers and burial rituals. EPA
Grieving villagers waited for hours to attend the funeral prayers and burial rituals. EPA
Those wishing to pay their final respects to Rayan had to climb the hilly, unpaved road leading to the cemetery in Ighran. EPA
Those wishing to pay their final respects to Rayan had to climb the hilly, unpaved road leading to the cemetery in Ighran. EPA
Moroccans pray over the grave of Rayan. AFP
Moroccans pray over the grave of Rayan. AFP
The father of Rayan receives condolences during the funeral. AFP
The father of Rayan receives condolences during the funeral. AFP
Moroccans burry the five-year-old after the funeral prayer. AFP
Moroccans burry the five-year-old after the funeral prayer. AFP
Hundreds of Moroccans attended the funeral prayer. AFP
Hundreds of Moroccans attended the funeral prayer. AFP
People pray during the funeral. AP Photo
People pray during the funeral. AP Photo
Mourners carry the body of Rayan. AFP
Mourners carry the body of Rayan. AFP
Rayan could not be rescued despite a vast operation that lasted five days. Reuters
Rayan could not be rescued despite a vast operation that lasted five days. Reuters
Some of the mourners reportedly walked for up to eight kilometres to reach the cemetery. Reuters
Some of the mourners reportedly walked for up to eight kilometres to reach the cemetery. Reuters

MENA

Rayan: Hundreds attend funeral for little boy in Morocco

Boy's story captivated the world during painstaking five-day operation to free him from a well

Ahmed Maher
Ahmed Maher

February 07, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

Hundreds of mourners gathered on Monday for the funeral of Rayan Aourram, the Moroccan boy who became trapped in a well and died despite an intense rescue operation that lasted for five days.

Those wishing to pay their final respects to Rayan climbed the hilly, unpaved road leading to the cemetery in Ighran, near Chefchaouen in northern Morocco, where they waited for hours for the funeral.

State media footage showed dozens of mourners performing the Muslim ritual prayers as Rayan was laid to rest. His coffin was draped in green cloth decorated with verses from the Quran.

Read more

Comment: Rayan united us in hope and in sadness

“I am over 50 years old and have never seen as many people in a funeral. Rayan is the son of us all,” one villager told Reuters.

“Rayan's death has renewed faith in humanity as people in different languages and from different countries express solidarity,” another villager said.

Local media reported that some of those in attendance had walked up to eight kilometres to reach the cemetery, after the authorities were forced to prevent cars from entering the area due to limited space.

Two large tents were erected in front of the grieving family's house where mourners could stop to offer their condolences.

The grieving parents were seen disembarking from a military ambulance, which carried the coffin to the burial ground.

Rayan fell down a narrow, 32-metre dry well last Tuesday, leading to a complex earth-moving operation to try to reach him without causing a landslide.

Rescuers had worked ceaselessly at constant risk of triggering a landslide in their ultimately fruitless efforts to pull the child out alive.

“I am very sad. We spared no effort to reach the boy alive. We excavated around the clock in five days what could have taken weeks,” a volunteer digger, Ali Sahraoui, told reporters at the funeral.

The prolonged rescue effort transfixed the country and many abroad.

The well, which was less than half a metre wide, was too narrow for Rayan to be reached directly, and widening the shaft was deemed too risky.

Rayan, the 5-year-old boy who died after falling into a well in Morocco. Photo: Social media
Rayan, the 5-year-old boy who died after falling into a well in Morocco. Photo: Social media

The joy of freeing Rayan from the well on Saturday evening and the hopes that he would be extracted alive quickly turned to sorrow as he was pronounced dead, sparking an outpouring of grief in Morocco and on social media.

On Saturday, condolences to the parents came from Morocco's King Mohammed VI, Pope Francis, French President Emmanuel Macron and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.

Egyptian and Senegalese football players held a minute of silence on Sunday before the kickoff of the African Cup of Nations final.

On Twitter, users left messages of condolences for the boy’s parents, using the hashtag #SaveRayan. They said his death has unified the world in hope and in grief and showed the best of humanity.

Villagers' generosity

Rayan’s village, in Morocco's rural Rif Mountains, has been in the spotlight over the course of the incident and his death has brought renewed attention to the problem of unlicensed uncovered wells in the region.

The Rif Mountains in northern Morocco extend from Tangier to the Moulouya River valley near the border with Algeria. What little infrastructure there is in the area is in poor condition.

Hundreds of people travelled to Rayan's village to pay their respects. Reuters
Hundreds of people travelled to Rayan's village to pay their respects. Reuters

The Arabic daily newspaper Assabah criticised the digging of unauthorised wells, saying many were used to irrigate cannabis widely grown in Morocco's north.

Locals mainly depend on mules and donkeys to transport basic supplies and water across long distances.

Residents of Ighran hosted journalists who had come to the area to cover rescue efforts and cooked food for rescue workers, who continued their digging operations around the clock despite freezing conditions.

“I was deeply moved by the residents’ generosity though they live in poverty,” Moroccan journalist Hamza Al Wahhabi told Hespress.

“They provided us with a supply of electricity to charge our phones and laptops. We are really grateful.”

Agencies contributed to this report

Rescue effort for Rayan in Morocco — in pictures

The parents of Rayan Aourram walk away after rescue workers retrieved his body from a deep well and placed it in an ambulance, in the village of Ighran in Morocco's Chefchaouen province. EPA
The parents of Rayan Aourram walk away after rescue workers retrieved his body from a deep well and placed it in an ambulance, in the village of Ighran in Morocco's Chefchaouen province. EPA
An ambulance drives away from the well where rescuers retrieved the body. The 5-year-old Moroccan boy who was trapped in a well for four days has died, authorities confirmed. EPA
An ambulance drives away from the well where rescuers retrieved the body. The 5-year-old Moroccan boy who was trapped in a well for four days has died, authorities confirmed. EPA
The rescue effort began after Rayan fell 32 metres down a dry well on Tuesday. AFP
The rescue effort began after Rayan fell 32 metres down a dry well on Tuesday. AFP
Rescue workers carry the body and place it in the ambulance. EPA
Rescue workers carry the body and place it in the ambulance. EPA
Rayan's body was wrapped in a yellow blanket after it was taken out through a tunnel dug specifically for the rescue. AFP
Rayan's body was wrapped in a yellow blanket after it was taken out through a tunnel dug specifically for the rescue. AFP
A member of the Moroccan emergency services in action during the rescue operation. AFP
A member of the Moroccan emergency services in action during the rescue operation. AFP
Search crews first used five bulldozers to dig vertically to a depth of more than 31 metres. AFP
Search crews first used five bulldozers to dig vertically to a depth of more than 31 metres. AFP
On Friday, rescuers started excavating a horizontal tunnel to reach Rayan. AFP
On Friday, rescuers started excavating a horizontal tunnel to reach Rayan. AFP
Experts in topographical engineering were called upon for help. AFP
Experts in topographical engineering were called upon for help. AFP
A Moroccan emergency services climber surveys the site. AFP
A Moroccan emergency services climber surveys the site. AFP
People wait for word on the rescue. AFP
People wait for word on the rescue. AFP
Rescuers had earlier been able to feed Rayan food and oxygen through an opening in the well, and they placed a camera on him to watch his progress. AFP
Rescuers had earlier been able to feed Rayan food and oxygen through an opening in the well, and they placed a camera on him to watch his progress. AFP
Hundreds of technical experts, workers, journalists, volunteers and well-wishers watched the rescue mission at the site and on live streams. AFP
Hundreds of technical experts, workers, journalists, volunteers and well-wishers watched the rescue mission at the site and on live streams. AFP
Members of the civil defence use diggers and other equipment at the site. AFP
Members of the civil defence use diggers and other equipment at the site. AFP
Crowds gather near the well as they anxiously wait for news on the fate of the child. AFP
Crowds gather near the well as they anxiously wait for news on the fate of the child. AFP
As the well became deeper, it also narrowed to a diameter of a little more than 30 centimetres, rescue workers said. AFP
As the well became deeper, it also narrowed to a diameter of a little more than 30 centimetres, rescue workers said. AFP
A woman waits for news at the site. AFP
A woman waits for news at the site. AFP
The rescue operation captured attention in Morocco and around the world. AFP
The rescue operation captured attention in Morocco and around the world. AFP
Rescuers work against the clock to reach Rayan. AFP
Rescuers work against the clock to reach Rayan. AFP
Rescuers toiled through the night as concerns about Rayan's safety grow. AFP
Rescuers toiled through the night as concerns about Rayan's safety grow. AFP
Rescuers during the nerve-racking final stages of a marathon effort to rescue Rayan. AFP
Rescuers during the nerve-racking final stages of a marathon effort to rescue Rayan. AFP
Bystanders watch as the rescue attempt continues. AFP
Bystanders watch as the rescue attempt continues. AFP
The brave work of rescue workers goes on. AFP
The brave work of rescue workers goes on. AFP
Concerns about ground stability halted the rescue attempt at times. AP
Concerns about ground stability halted the rescue attempt at times. AP
Rayan's father said that he was touched by the outpouring of support from fellow Moroccans over his son's ordeal. AP
Rayan's father said that he was touched by the outpouring of support from fellow Moroccans over his son's ordeal. AP
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Alnamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMicrofinance%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFamily%20offices%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our legal consultants

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

While you're here
While you're here
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour Calendar 2018/19

July 29: OTA Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan

Sep 22-23: LA Convention Centre in Los Angeles, US

Nov 16-18: Carioca Arena Centre in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Feb 7-9: Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE

Mar 9-10: Copper Box Arena in London, UK

THE CLOWN OF GAZA

Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah 

Starring: Alaa Meqdad

Rating: 4/5

Kareem Shaheen on Canada
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
  • Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
  • Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
  • Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
  • Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
  • Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
  • Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
  • Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
The%20team
%3Cp%3E%0DFashion%20director%3A%20Sarah%20Maisey%0D%3Cbr%3EPhotographer%3A%20Greg%20Adamski%0D%3Cbr%3EHair%20and%20make-up%3A%20Ania%20Poniatowska%0D%3Cbr%3EModels%3A%20Nyajouk%20and%20Kristine%20at%20MMG%2C%20and%20Mitchell%0D%3Cbr%3EStylist%E2%80%99s%20assistants%3A%20Nihala%20Naval%20and%20Sneha%20Maria%20Siby%0D%3Cbr%3EVideographer%3A%20Nilanjana%20Gupta%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Six large-scale objects on show
  • Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
  • The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
  • A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
  • Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
  • A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
  • Torrijos Palace dome
While you're here
The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now

Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

On Women's Day
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2017 Maserati Quattroporte

Price, base / as tested Dh389,000 / Dh559,000

Engine 3.0L twin-turbo V8

Transmission Eight-speed automatic

Power 530hp @ 6,800rpm

Torque 650Nm @ 2,000 rpm

Fuel economy, combined 10.7L / 100km

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C600rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C500-4%2C000rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10.9L%2F100km%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh119%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
While you're here
What are the main cyber security threats?

Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

Ain Dubai in numbers

126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure

1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch

16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.

9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.

5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place

192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.

Tips%20for%20holiday%20homeowners
%3Cp%3EThere%20are%20several%20factors%20for%20landlords%20to%20consider%20when%20preparing%20to%20establish%20a%20holiday%20home%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3E%3Cstrong%3ERevenue%20potential%20of%20the%20unit%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20location%2C%20view%20and%20size%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3E%3Cstrong%3EDesign%3A%20furnished%20or%20unfurnished.%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Is%20the%20design%20up%20to%20standard%2C%20while%20being%20catchy%20at%20the%20same%20time%3F%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3E%3Cstrong%3EBusiness%20model%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20will%20it%20be%20managed%20by%20a%20professional%20operator%20or%20directly%20by%20the%20owner%2C%20how%20often%20does%20the%20owner%20wants%20to%20use%20it%20for%20personal%20reasons%3F%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3E%3Cstrong%3EQuality%20of%20the%20operator%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20guest%20reviews%2C%20customer%20experience%20management%2C%20application%20of%20technology%2C%20average%20utilisation%2C%20scope%20of%20services%20rendered%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%20Adam%20Nowak%2C%20managing%20director%20of%20Ultimate%20Stay%20Vacation%20Homes%20Rental%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Bio

Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village

What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft

Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans

Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface

The biog

Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology

Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India

Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur

How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993

Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters

Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Kareem Shaheen on Canada
ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

While you're here
Recommended
While you're here
Whiile you're here
Zayed Sustainability Prize
While you're here
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

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

While you're here
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE%C2%A0SPECS
%3Cp%3EEngine%3A%204-cylinder%202.5-litre%20%2F%202-litre%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20188hp%20%2F%20248hp%0D%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20244Nm%20%2F%20370Nm%0D%3Cbr%3ETransmission%3A%207-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20now%0D%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh110%2C000%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Details

Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny

Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books

Updated: February 08, 2022, 5:52 AM`
Morocco