Six freeze to death on Kurdistan-Turkey border
SORAN, Kurdistan Region – Six people, believed to be from a group of nine trying to cross the border from the Kurdistan Region into Turkey illegally, have died due to cold and exposure.
Five, who appear to be a mother and four children, died on the Kurdistan Region side of the border. Four made it to Turkey where they were arrested by Turkish soldiers and one of them died.
The bodies of the five in the Kurdistan Region were recovered with help of the military and locals, Hawar Argoshi, spokesperson for Soran police, told Rudaw. Their bodies were taken to Soran hospital.
They appear to have been unable to cross the border when the Mawan River swelled due to recent rains.
Their identities are not immediately clear, Argoshi said.
“They do not have any IDs or documents to know where they are from, but according to the information obtained by us they are Arabs, but we are not sure if they are Syrian Arabs or Iraqi,” he explained.
When their teams arrived on the border, Turkish soldiers were in the area, Argoshi added. The soldiers stated they had caught four people. One of them was a child who did not survive.
One of the survivors said they are from Fallujah and have come through Sulaimani, Erbil, and Khalifan, Rudaw learned from Mergasor police.
They were reportedly trying to reach Europe.
Five, who appear to be a mother and four children, died on the Kurdistan Region side of the border. Four made it to Turkey where they were arrested by Turkish soldiers and one of them died.
The bodies of the five in the Kurdistan Region were recovered with help of the military and locals, Hawar Argoshi, spokesperson for Soran police, told Rudaw. Their bodies were taken to Soran hospital.
They appear to have been unable to cross the border when the Mawan River swelled due to recent rains.
Their identities are not immediately clear, Argoshi said.
“They do not have any IDs or documents to know where they are from, but according to the information obtained by us they are Arabs, but we are not sure if they are Syrian Arabs or Iraqi,” he explained.
When their teams arrived on the border, Turkish soldiers were in the area, Argoshi added. The soldiers stated they had caught four people. One of them was a child who did not survive.
One of the survivors said they are from Fallujah and have come through Sulaimani, Erbil, and Khalifan, Rudaw learned from Mergasor police.
They were reportedly trying to reach Europe.