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Rayan Awram funeral: Hundreds join burial of Moroccan boy who died trapped in a deep well

Mourners waited for hours to attend the funeral of the young boy who died in the well, King Mohammed VI and Pope Francis offered condolences

 
Hundreds of mourners showed up at Rayan Awram’s funeral on Tuesday. The five-year-old boy died after falling into a well in Ighran village, northern Morocco. According to reports, several mourners gathered at the village cemetery and the prayer site stopped to offer condolences to the grieving family. “I am over 50-years-old and have never seen as many people in a funeral. Rayan is the son of us all,” said a villager at the funeral.
 
Mourners overflowed in front of Rayan Awram’s home in Morocco where his family had erected two large tents. “Rayan’s death has renewed faith in humanity as people in different languages and from different countries express solidarity,” said another villager.

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The five-year-old boy died on Saturday despite several efforts by Moroccan emergency services. The rescuers worked endlessly to pull out the child alive at constant risk of triggering a landslide. Awram's body was pulled out on Saturday after rescuers already excavated the area adjacent hillside that tunneled toward the bottom of the well where he was. “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,” said Ali Sahraoui, a volunteer digger at the funeral.
 
The little boy’s unfortunate death pulled in prayers and condolences from around the world. The Egyptian and Senegalese football players held a minute of silence to mourn the little boy on Sunday before the kick-off of the final of the African Cup of Nations football tournament. “My condolences to the family of poor young Rayan, I am so sad to hear that despite the magnificent efforts of the Moroccan emergency services it was not possible to save this courageous young boy.” Said Simon Martin, British ambassador to Morocco. 

King Mohammed VI also called Awram's parents Khaled Oram and Wassima Kharchich, according to an official royal statement tweeted by 2M, a Moroccan TV channel. The statement read “deepest condolences and sincere sympathy to all members of the family of the deceased in this painful affliction”. On Sunday, Pope Francis also appreciated the collective effort of the community that came together to save the young boy on Twitter. “Amid so much bad news, there are good things. Today I would like to mention two: one, in Morocco, where an entire people worked to save a child, Rayan. thank you to these people for their witness,” Pope Francis tweeted.