Morocco to bury little Rayan on Monday

Morocco will today (Monday) bury "little Rayan", the five-year-old boy who died trapped in a well despite a days-long rescue operation that gripped the world.

Rayan's funeral is to be held in his home village of Ighrane in the north of the Kingdom.

Stuck for five days at the bottom of a narrow, 32-metre (100-foot) dry well, his fate drew global attention and sparked an outpouring of sympathy online.

His devastated parents have expressed their appreciation to the King of Morocco and all who supported in the rescue efforts.   

"I want to thank his majesty the king for everything he did. This was destined to happen and we have nothing to do about it. My sincere gratitude to all those who helped and stood by us.’’ Wassima Kharchich, Rayan’s mother.

On Saturday night, crowds had cheered in joy when rescue workers reached the boy after a round-the-clock digging operation, clearing away the final handfuls of dirt.

But hope turned to grief as news spread that the rescue was too late, and that Rayan was dead. Tributes poured in from around the world, among them, words from Pope Francis.