Body of 16-year-old girl found after 20-hour search in Taq Taq

ERBIL — The body of a 16-year-old girl who drowned in the Little Zab River in Taq Taq district, Erbil, was recovered on Wednesday after more than 20 hours of extensive search efforts.

The incident occurred at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, when the girl fell into the river while tending poultry near her home on the riverbank. Goran Ahmed Smaqah, head of the Koya Civil Defense, told 964media that the search involved local residents and Koya Civil Defense teams. “After extensive searches by diving and civil defense teams from Koya, along with local residents, the body was recently found by a group of civilians,” he said.

Smaqah added that no external assistance was sought during the operation, as local teams and residents carried out the search independently.

The Little Zab River, which flows through Taq Taq, is lined with houses that often lack safety barriers, increasing the risk of such accidents. Civil defense officials have expressed concerns over safety measures in residential areas along the river.

This tragedy adds to a troubling pattern of drowning incidents across the Kurdistan Region. Since the beginning of the year, over 65 drowning deaths have been reported. One of the most devastating occurred in mid-June, when five members of a family drowned in Sulaymaniyah’s Raparin district while attempting to rescue a child who had fallen into a pond.

Last year, more than 100 drowning deaths were recorded across the region. In response, civil defense teams have ramped up rescue efforts, reportedly saving nearly 70 people in similar incidents.