Zakho
Tourist drowns in Khabur River despite warnings
ZAKHO — A 19-year-old tourist drowned in the Khabur River in Duhok’s Zakho district on Friday, despite warnings from local authorities about the dangers of swimming there.
The victim, from Rumadiyah, Anbar, was visiting the river with a group when he decided to swim to cool off. He drowned at about 2:05 p.m., and his body was recovered after a three-hour search, officials said.
His body was transferred to Zakho forensic medical for examination.
Jamal Hassan, the head of Civil Defense in Zakho, told 964media that civil defense teams had previously cautioned tourists against swimming in the river. “Our teams had previously warned all tourists at the Khabur River about the dangers of swimming in this water,” Hassan said.
Swimming has been prohibited in the Khabur River within Zakho’s jurisdiction, but some tourists continue to swim there, often tempted by the high temperatures.
This year, five people have drowned within the administrative boundaries of Zakho, and two others outside the area whose bodies were also recovered by Zakho’s Civil Defense teams.
In the first six months of this year, 40 people have drowned across the Kurdistan Region, compared with more than 100 drownings recorded last year. In response, civil defense teams have stepped up rescue operations and have saved nearly 70 people.
Kurdistan Region addresses rising drowning incidents with new safety measures
Kurdistan Region sees spike in drownings; 40 cases reported
