Near Kirkuk
Search continues for man missing after swimming in Tigris River
KIRKUK — A 40-year-old man from the Zab sub-district of Kirkuk has been missing since Thursday evening, following a swimming incident in the Tigris River. His fate remains unconfirmed despite extensive search efforts.
The incident took place on the evening of June 27 near the man’s home area, according to authorities and acquaintances.
Mahir Zrbati, a colleague at the oil company where both worked, reported that the man had appeared distressed at work earlier that day. “Yesterday he seemed very heartbroken at work, constantly looking at a picture of his son, who died a while ago. We consoled him,” Zrbati recalled.
The swim was intended as a respite from the day’s stress. However, about 30 minutes after he left for the river with friends, a distressing call reported that he had drowned and was missing.
Ahmed Majid, a member of the 16th Brigade of the Popular Mobilization Forces, noted that the brigade’s swimming team and river police have been actively searching for the man. The search has reached as far as the Fatha area in Salah Al-Din governorate but has yet to yield results.
In the past 50 days, the Kirkuk governorate has seen eight drowning incidents, including two involving women, with three occurring in the Zab sub-district alone.
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