These Images Are Not Related to the Five-Year-Old Moroccan Boy Trapped in Well
The Claim
The first image depicts Moroccan divers working to free 5-year-old Rayan, who had become trapped in a well. The second depicts Rayan returning to his family after saving his life.
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Emerging story
A picture has gone viral on social media, claiming to be related to the Moroccan rescue operations of Rayan, a 5-year-old boy who became trapped in a well. Other users have also posted another image, claiming to show the young Rayan after he has saved his life.
Description: Many social media users and news websites have circulated the claim.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar has investigated the claim and found it misleading. Both images are old and are not related to the story of the Moroccan 5-year old stuck in a well.
Using Google Image Reverse Search, our team found that the first picture depicts a rescue operation to save a kid stuck in a well in Idlib. The image was uploaded to websites in March 2021.
According to websites, Syrian Civil Defence troops tried to save the 10-years old child after he fell in a well in Idlib, but he died after 55 hours of trying to rescue him.
The second image is also unrelated to Rayan’s story. Our team found out that it was posted to social media and websites in October 2021, and it depicts an Iraqi saved after he fell in a well in Mossoul.
And according to the Iraqi Civil Defense, the one-and-a-half-year-old kid fell into a 50 meter deep well in Mossoul, and the kid was saved.
According to Misbar sources, it has been over 70 hours since Rayan has been stuck in a 32-meters deep well in Bab Berred, Chefchaouen, northern Morocco.
Moroccan Local Civil Protection is still trying to rescue the 5-year old boy after many failed attempts and sleepless nights. Meanwhile, social media platforms are filled with messages of compassion and support for Rayan and his family.
