Rayan's tomb, 5-year-old who died after falling into a barn in Morocco

Hundreds of people attended the funeral ceremony held in a mountainous area in the Chefchaween region on Monday, just a few miles from the site of the accident, while an imam was reading to the burial prayers, writes The Guardian.

The little boy had fallen into a 32m deep well but without water last Tuesday. Authorities launched a major rescue operation, removing the soil in parallel with the deep hole and making sure it had not slipped.

On Saturday evening, people who were undergoing the rescue operation shouted for joy as workers removed the last part of the earth to bring out the child, but their joy turned to frustration when the royal cabinet announced that the boy was dead.

King Mohammed VI has called the child's parents to express condolences.

Rayan's father, Khaled Aourram, said he was preparing the well near his house when his son fell into the deep pit.

Social networking accounts in the Arab world were full of messages for support, grief and appreciation for the work of rescue teams. The citizens of neighboring Algeria also expressed their grief, including the coach of the Algerian national football player Djamel Belmadi.