Yousef, 27, a resident of Erbil city, went to Erbil’s Mergasor district with her family for a picnic on April 5. While there, her brother fell into a nearby river, and when she attempted to rescue him, she too fell into the water, according to family members. She has been missing ever since.
“We will continue searching intensively for eight more days, afterward we will search two days a week,” Soran civil defense director Karwan Mirawdali told Rudaw on Saturday.
Mirawdali explained that finding Yousef has been made even more difficult with a 1.6-meter rise in water levels after heavy rains. “The water has become murky, which has made the process much more difficult, nevertheless, we will continue searching for Avesta,” he said.
“We have used all techniques and made every effort,” Mirawdali affirmed.
The Kurdistan Region’s lakes and rivers are popular tourist attractions, especially during the hot summer months, but strong currents claim lives each year.
The drownings are caused by multiple factors such as lack of swimming skills, unfamiliarity with the geography, freezing waters, and failure to use lifesaving equipment like lifejackets and inflatables, Erbil’s civil defence directorate said in 2023.
