Rescue teams intensify efforts to find missing woman in Erbil province

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Several rescue teams, along with dozens of security forces, are actively searching for a young woman who fell into a river while picnicking in the northeastern district of Mergasor, Erbil province, on Saturday, a spokesperson said on Sunday. 

Avesta Yousef, 27, a resident of Erbil city, went to Mergasor district with her family for a picnic. 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 and local officials. She has been missing ever since. 

“Throughout today, nine teams from the Soran Civil Defense Directorate, with the help of more than 150 officers and border guards, environmental personnel, and the Barzan Peshmerga Command continue searching, but until now her body has not been found,” Rawand Maghdid, spokesperson for the Soran Civil Defense Directorate, told Rudaw on Sunday.

Mergasor is located within the Soran administration.

Maghdid added that bad weather and the rugged terrain have made the rescue operation challenging, with officials estimating the search could take up to two weeks.

The Kurdistan Region’s lakes and rivers are popular tourist attractions, especially in the hot summer months, but every year people lose their lives in them.

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.