A footballer saddened by the death of a young boy who had been trapped in a well has offered to buy his family a new home to “bring a little joy” to their lives.
Hundreds of rescuers worked tirelessly for five days to rescue Rayan Oram, five, who fell through the narrow opening of the well last Tuesday.
On Saturday the world held its breath as the team, some of whom had been digging with their hands, finally reached him and brought him to the surface.
The jubilation soon turned to tears when it was found little Rayan had not survived.
Now Moroccan international footballer Abderrazak Hamdallah says he wants to buy the heartbroken family a new home to help with their despair.
The 31-year-old, who played under former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson after a move to Chinese Super League side Guangzhou, said: “We have gone through five very remote days and our hearts were snatched from us, Moroccans, all Arabs and Muslims, and even the whole world.
“We praised and thanked God for everything that Rayan took, and he was more merciful to us and more deserving of it than us
“With this affliction, I extend my deepest condolences to Rayan's family, and I ask God to grant them patience and solace.
“And I have decided, in my name and my family’s name, and in the name of all Moroccans and Muslims, to help and bring a little joy to Rayan’s family, his parents and his brothers and give them a fully equipped house. We ask God to accept us and make it in the balance of the good deeds of all Muslims
“This is help from a brother to you and God's mercy.”
The message comes after Rayan’s mother and father were given a guard of honour on Saturday night by rescuers.
His mother, Ouassima Kharchich, said: "This is God's will. I thank all for their efforts to help."
His dad, Khalid Awram, added: "We thank so much the people and authorities... who helped us."
Atiqua Awram, the little boy’s aunt, said: “My heart is aching for him.”
One social media user said of the gesture by Hamdallah, who played and scored against Newcastle in January: “This made me feel things I can’t describe.”
Little Rayan fell into the well in the hills of Chefchaouen on Tuesday, triggering a huge rescue effort which was followed by millions around the world.
The operation involved cutting much of the adjacent hillside and then tunnelling toward the bottom of the well to reach the child who was kept alive by food, water and oxygen lowered from the surface through a tube.
Efforts were hampered by fears of landslides and there were cheers on Saturday evening when he was brought to the surface.
Soon afterwards the worst was confirmed as a statement from Morocco's royal palace confirmed he had not survived, with many rescuers bursting into tears.
An onlooker said: "I heard people shout in jubilation after the boy was found thinking he was alive but then we learnt he was not. I never felt this sad."
Among the onlookers was Bwa Sahraoui who dug with his bare hands for five days with limited rest and was among those who cleared the last few feet of rubble to reach the trapped boy on Saturday.
He was cheered on social media as stories of his dedication were shared online.
Pope Francis praised the people of Morocco for coming together to try to rescue the boy.
He said: "The people clung together, as a whole, to save Rayan, they worked together to save a child," the pope said during his
weekly blessing in St. Peter's Square.
"(The rescuers) tried their best, unfortunately they did not make it."
Also among well wishers to the family were French President Emmanuel Macron, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, as well as football clubs including Liverpool, Manchester United, Barcelona and Sevilla who expressed condolences on their Arabic Twitter accounts.
AC Milan's Algerian midfielder Ismael Bennacer added: "Rayan's courage will stay in our memories and continue to inspire us."
Ryan's funeral is believed to be scheduled for Monday.
