Rescuers get closer to little Rayan trapped in well in Morocco

Ighran, Morocco, Feb 5 (EFE).- Specialists working on the rescue of little Rayan, trapped in a well in the Moroccan locality of Ighran, have three meters ahead until they reach the cavity where he is located, according to officials involved in the operation overnight.

The rescue team have been drilling a tunnel horizontally into the ground for eight hours to reach the child.

Abdelhadi Tamrani, head of the rescue monitoring committee, informed the media early morning that work to complete the 5.5-meter tunnel was progressing at a slow pace keeping in mind the delicate nature of the soil.

Through the tunnel, rescuers will be able to reach Rayan, who has been trapped inside since Tuesday and whose physical condition remains unknown.

In this operation, the rescue personnel first dug vertically next to the well to a depth of 32 meters and are now doing so horizontally to Ryan’s location.

The only obstacles are the landslides while digging the horizontal tunnel, according to Tamrani, who added that from time the team has to be pulled out when the land starts caving in.

Two teams are working in alternate shifts to complete the rescue, which is expected to take another few hours, he added.

A helicopter of the Royal Gendarmerie has been mobilized to transfer the child if necessary, as well as an ambulance with equipment for resuscitation.

The incident has caused a major shock in Morocco, where social media are filled with photos and messages of solidarity to the child’s parents. Many internet users changed their profile images to that of Rayan. EFE

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