9-year-old boy drowns in Pshdar irrigation pond

PSHDAR — A 9-year-old boy drowned Sunday morning after slipping into an agricultural irrigation pond in the village of Qirnaqa, located in Sulaymaniyah’s Pshdar district.

Araslan Rasul, a relative of the child, told 964media the boy had gone to the pond — which was lined with nylon — to drink water when he fell in. “He slipped and fell into the pond,” Rasul said. Another child who was with him attempted to help but was unable to pull him out and called for the boy’s uncle.

Family members later retrieved the child and took him to Qaladze Hospital, but doctors confirmed he had already died.

“The child was brought to our emergency department, but it was clear he had died before arrival,” said Dr. Azad Ahmed, the hospital’s director.