A rockfall near the entrance of the Darbandikhan Tunnel in Sulaymaniyah governorate caused traffic disruptions, though no injuries were reported. (Photo by 964media)
No injuries reported
Rockfall disrupts traffic at Darbandikhan Tunnel in Sulaymaniyah
SULAYMANIYAH — A rockfall near the entrance of the Darbandikhan Tunnel disrupted traffic on Friday, but local officials reported no injuries.
Suleiman Mohammed, district commissioner of Darbandikhan, told 964media, “At around 10:30 a.m., due to the collapse of part of a retaining wall, rocks fell near the entrance of the Darbandikhan Tunnel.”
The tunnel, a critical link between Sulaymaniyah city and surrounding districts with the Garmian autonomous administration, experienced significant delays as fallen debris forced authorities to redirect vehicles. Mohammed, coordinating with traffic teams at the scene, explained, “We are managing the flow of traffic using lights and barriers, as the rockfall has blocked one side of the road.”
He also noted that the collapse was not entirely unexpected. “Before the New Year, we had warned the Sulaymaniyah road authority about the possibility of rockfalls and the need to reinforce this section,” Mohammed said.
This incident marks the second occurrence of heavy rainfall triggering rockfalls near the tunnel entrance, with concerns persisting about the aging structure’s impact on road safety.
