Search for missing woman in Mergasor river enters third week

ERBIL — Nineteen days after 27-year-old Avesta Yousif Barzinji was swept away by the Tangatour River in the Mergasor district, civil defense teams say they remain committed to continuing the search for up to three months.

Karwan Mirawadeli, head of Soran Civil Defense, told 964media, “Today marks 19 days since Avesta went missing in the river, and we will continue daily searches for the next 11 days. In the second month, we’ll search two days a week — on Mondays and Wednesdays. In the third month, we’ll search once a week, in the middle of the week.”

Currently, 64 teams and 220 personnel from civil defense units in Soran, Erbil, Shaqlawa, and Akre are involved. “Every day, we search a 150-kilometer stretch for any signs of Avesta. In addition, many local residents are helping and searching with us,” Mirawadeli said.

He noted that temperature affects recovery times. “In warm water, a body may surface within 10 to 12 days. But in cold water, it can stay under for two to three weeks,” he said. “So we hope to recover her in the next two days.”

Barzinji disappeared April 5 while trying to save her brother, Hussein, who had fallen into the river. Hussein managed to pull himself to safety, but Avesta was carried away by the current.