Kurdistan
Municipal teams clear a snow-blocked road in the Zini Warte sub-district of Erbil’s Rawanduz district on Sunday. Photo: Ari Ismael/Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least 21 people have gone missing in the mountainous Sidakan area of Erbil’s Soran administration after heavy snowfall blocked access routes, officials said Monday.
The group disappeared overnight in the Lolan highlands near the Iranian border. Thirteen are from Kurdish areas in western Iran (Rojhelat), while eight are from the Kurdistan Region, according to Rudaw's Andam Jabar.
Search teams, joined by relatives, conducted operations for several hours but were forced to suspend efforts due to severe weather. Karwan Mirawdali, head of Soran Civil Defense, said the eight locals are livestock owners who entered the border mountains on Sunday.
“We do not know if they are trapped in the snow or what has happened to them," Mirawdali said. “Their fate remains unknown."
Authorities plan to resume a large-scale search involving civil defense, police, Asayish, Peshmerga forces, local officials, and volunteers.
Snow accumulation has reached up to two meters in parts of Sidakan. Unconfirmed reports suggest 11 of the 13 missing individuals from Rojhelat may have returned home, while two were reported dead, though no official confirmation has been issued.
The Kurdistan Region has been hit by a second wave of snow and rain this year, with meteorological officials warning that intermittent precipitation will continue through the week.
Earlier this month, the Kurdistan Region and parts of Iraq experienced three consecutive days of heavy rainfall, causing severe flash floods. A preliminary report from the Kurdistan Region’s Joint Crisis Coordination Center (JCC) recorded five deaths, 19 injuries, and damage to 2,225 homes across the Kurdistan Region and Kirkuk province.
Chamchamal district in western Sulaimani province was the hardest-hit area, with two fatalities and 12 injuries reported.
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