Teen drowns while swimming in Gharraf River

DHI QAR — A 19-year-old drowned on Saturday while swimming in the Gharraf River in Qalaat Sukar district, north of Dhi Qar, a security source reported.

Rescue teams recovered the body after several hours of searching and transferred it to the forensic department. Authorities have opened an investigation into the circumstances of the incident, the source added.

Several drowning incidents are reported weekly across the country. The body of a 24-year-old man who had been missing for two days was recovered Thursday from a water source near the Tigris River in Shirqat district, local sources said.

With summer heat intensifying, many Iraqis turn to rivers and dams to cool off, but drowning remains common, especially among young people with limited swimming experience who underestimate river currents and deep water.