ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A total of 61 people have died while swimming in the Kurdistan Region’s rivers and lakes since the beginning of this year, according to government data. Mariwan Hassan, Director of Crisis Response and Management at the Joint Crisis Coordination Centre (JCC), told Rudaw on Thursday that 61 people have drowned in the Kurdistan Region’s rivers in the last eight months. Hassan said in many of the drowning cases, people were “failing to follow instructions.” On July 25, authorities from across relevant departments held a meeting to discuss the problem and how to reduce incidents of drowning, including by installing signs and spreading awareness. According to data from JCC, 77 people drowned in the Kurdistan Region’s waters last year. Between 2018-2022, a total of 400 people died while swimming in the rivers and lakes and 250 people were rescued. Sarkawt Karash, spokesperson for Erbil civil defence directorate, told Rudaw on Friday that drownings were 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. The Kurdistan Region’s lakes and rivers are popular tourist attractions, especially in the hot summer months. Friday was the hottest day of the year in the Region, according to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, with temperatures reaching near 50 Celsius degrees in several areas, including the capital city of Erbil.
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