IGHRAN, Morocco — Rescuers are inching closer to reaching a 5-year-old boy trapped for three days in a well in Morocco, in an operation hampered by concerns about ground stability that has captivated the North African country.
The boy, identified as Rayan, fell into a 32-meter (105-feet) deep well outside his home in a village in Morocco’s northern Chefchaouen province Tuesday evening.
According to NBC News, the boy's father said he was repairing the well when his son fell in.
Search crews first used five bulldozers over days to dig vertically to a depth of more than 31 meters, according to Morocco’s official MAP news agency.
Then on Friday, they started excavating a horizontal tunnel to reach the trapped boy, MAP said, adding that experts in topographical engineering were called upon for help.
Citing a local publication, The New York Times reported that two rescuers were manually digging the final inches that separate them from the boy.
A helicopter is reportedly in the area to take the boy to a hospital when he is pulled from the well.