Search continues for girl who fell into waterfall in Halabja

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Search operations are ongoing in Halabja for a young girl who fell into a waterfall and disappeared, the local civil defense director said. Colonel Abidin Abdurrahman, director of Halabja's civil defense, told a news conference that teams have been conducting a detailed search of the Ahmed Ava recreational area for several days and have narrowed the operation to the area around the Zelm springs. He said the family is awaiting news and that rescuers are doing everything possible to locate the girl, identified as Ruqayya, who had traveled from Karbala. Abdurrahman added that additional support teams would be sought from other cities and independent administrations in the Kurdistan Region if needed. He urged citizens and volunteers to refrain from joining the search to prevent possible accidents and disorder at the site. Authorities in Sulaymaniyah have begun diverting part of the stream in the Ahmed Ava area using large pipes to allow teams to reach a critical point at the waterfall. Dozens of volunteers from Halabja and surrounding areas are assisting the official teams.