Tragedy shocks community as five children drown during family outing in Kut marsh

KUT — Five children between the ages of 8 and 13 drowned Sunday in the Shweicha marsh near Kut after falling into a pit dug during maintenance work on the Kut-Badra road, relatives said.

The children, who are siblings and cousins, were on a family outing with their fathers, uncles and grandfather when they went swimming in the marsh. “As they tried to rescue each other, they all drowned,” relatives told 964media, adding that the incident happened quickly and without warning. Local residents and swimmers volunteered to retrieve the bodies.