Search continues for child missing in Sulaymaniyah waterfall as crews divert stream

SULAYMANIYAH, Iraq — Search teams on Friday entered the eighth day of efforts to locate a child identified as Ruqayya, who reportedly fell into the waters of the Zelem waterfall at the Ahmed Ava picnic area in Sulaymaniyah several days ago. The child was said to have come from Karbala. Crews have begun using large pipes to redirect part of the stream in a narrow section of the river to lower the water level and reach points divers cannot access, according to Captain Zanyar Omar, spokesperson for the Halabja Civil Defense Directorate. He said the operation did not change the full course of the river and was limited to the rocky stretch where the child fell, which does not exceed six meters in depth. Teams have searched along an approximately six-kilometer stretch from the site to Khormal district, using cameras and rescue personnel. Local authorities have temporarily closed the Ahmed Ava picnic area to visitors to support the search operation. Volunteer swimmer and rescuer Karzan Ahmed said he was traveling to Halabja to join the efforts, citing years of water-rescue experience and a wish to support the family. Numerous volunteers have been working alongside the official teams, according to the report.