Girl from Karbala found dead nine days after vanishing at waterfall in Halabja

HALABJA, Iraq — A young girl from Karbala who disappeared during a visit to a waterfall in Halabja was found dead on Tuesday, nine days after she went missing, local authorities said. The child, identified as Ruqayya, was visiting the waterfall with her family as part of a summer trip to the Kurdistan Region's scenic areas when she vanished, prompting a large search effort involving local residents, rescue teams and volunteers. The search operation continued for nine days before her body was recovered on Monday. Her death prompted mourning in both Halabja and her family's home city of Karbala. Halabja Governor Nashwa Saleh and groups of women from across the city offered condolences to Ruqayya's family, according to officials. Local authorities said the community's solidarity throughout the search reflected a shared effort to ease the family's grief. No further details on the cause of the incident were immediately available.