ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A body believed to be that of a child from central Iraq, who has been missing for several days in Kurdistan Region’s southeastern province of Halabja, was found on Wednesday following an intensive search operation, local authorities said.
Ruqaya, 11, from Iraq’s Karbala province visited the Zalim resort in Halabja province’s Hawraman region earlier this month but fell into the water. Local authorities launched an intensive search operation to find the tourist.
"After nearly nine days of searching, a body has been found in the water, which is highly likely to be the tourist girl who went missing at Zalim resort," Zanyar Omar, spokesperson for Halabja civil defense department, told Rudaw.
Omar said the body was located following "extensive efforts by our teams and the use of several different search methods."
The incident adds to a growing number of drowning cases across the Kurdistan Region this year.
Sarkawt Karash, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region Civil Defense, told Rudaw on Wednesday that 29 people have drowned in the Region so far in 2026, with the highest number of cases recorded within the Zakho administration in Duhok province.
Drownings remain a recurring safety concern across Iraq and the Region, particularly during the summer months when lakes and rivers attract large numbers of visitors.
Late last month, seven people drowned in the Tigris River in Salahaddin province while attempting to rescue a child who had fallen into the water. Earlier in May, five teenagers lost their lives while swimming in the Schwaycha Marsh in Wasit province.
Kurdistan Region authorities have attributed many drowning deaths to poor swimming ability, unfamiliarity with waterways, strong currents, cold water temperatures, and the lack of safety equipment such as life jackets and inflatables.
