Soran administration’s civil defence directorate said in a statement on Friday that two men, aged 19 and 21, drowned in Gali Ali Bag river. The young men had come from Erbil city for swimming. The body of one of the deceased people was recovered while rescue teams “continue to search for the other,” the directorate added.
Hours later, the directorate said in a separate statement that another man died in Chama river in Mergasor district which is located in Soran administration. He was from Soran city and was married.
“He drowned because he was not familiar [with the river] and did not know how to swim,” said the civil defence directorate.
People flock to rivers as the weather gets hotter in the Kurdistan Region and electricity supply is scarce.
Numerous drowning incidents are reported in the Region every year, especially in July when temperature reaches 50 Celsius.
