Aged 25
Body of young man recovered from Sirwan River in Sulaymaniyah
SULAYMANIYAH — The body of a 25-year-old man who drowned in the Sirwan River in Darbandikhan district, Sulaymaniyah governorate, was recovered Wednesday morning after nearly 12 hours of search efforts.
Kaywan Ahmed, head of Darbandikhan’s Civil Defense, told 964media that the search was complicated by increased water levels from the Darbandikhan Dam, which had caused the river’s water level to rise Tuesday evening. “After we managed to stop the water release, the body was found in the river’s currents this morning and recovered,” Ahmed said.
The body was discovered around 6:30 a.m. and transported to Darbandikhan Forensic Medicine Department. The young man had gone swimming in the river the previous evening.
According to the Civil Defense Directorate of the Kurdistan Region, 26 people have drowned in various locations across the region in the past five months.
Sarkawt Karash, head of the Kurdistan Region’s Civil Defense media department, told 964media that most of this year’s drownings occurred in Sulaymaniyah province. “Most of those who drowned in the Kurdistan Region are from the central and southern governorates of Iraq, with fewer incidents involving local residents.”
He added that after Sulaymaniyah, the highest number of drownings occurred in the Raparin administration, with the fewest in the Zakho administration.
Over 100 people drowned in the Kurdistan Region last year, and civil defense teams rescued nearly 70 individuals. The statistics reveal a higher toll compared to the previous year, where 77 individuals lost their lives to drowning in the region.