ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Flash floods caused by heavy rainfall swept through downtown Duhok on Tuesday, with the city’s civil defense directorate telling Rudaw that at least two people had lost their lives after their vehicle submerged, according to early assessments.
Torrential downpour battered central Duhok and its vicinities starting on Monday evening, resulting in flooding in many areas. Rainwater swept through multiple houses and shops, causing material damage.
“A vehicle carrying four people was swept away by the floods. Two of them were rescued, but the other two were taken by the current. According to early information, both of them have died, but their bodies have yet to be found,” Bewar Abdulaziz, spokesperson for Duhok’s civil defense, told Rudaw.
Duhok Governor Ali Tatar urged civilians not to leave their houses unless absolutely necessary, adding that Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani has instructed relevant authorities to do whatever needs to be done to protect civilian lives.
Duhok civil defense later in the day told Rudaw that early assessments suggest that rainwater swept through nearly 100 houses and submerged around15 vehicles.
“All of our belongings have been damaged… We call on relevant parties to come to our aid,” said Suham Hussein, a resident of Duhok’s Domiz subdistrict.
The floods reached up to the rooftops of some houses in Duhok’s Sarhaldan neighborhood, which is located approximately 300 meters away from the Hishkaro river basin.
“Flash floods have swept the streets since 8:30 am, and have caused a lot of damage to the houses and the vehicles,” the neighborhood’s chieftain told Rudaw, stressing that no civilian casualties have been reported yet.
Heavy rains also showered the Kurdish capital of Erbil, with meteorologists forecasting potential flooding in parts of the province.
Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw stressed that civil defense teams and other relevant authorities are on standby, calling on civilians to not leave their houses between 1:00 pm and 6:00 pm due to the possibility of flash floods, also urging them to stay clear of rivers and areas where water overflow is expected.
Rising water levels and flash floods during the rainy seasons of fall and winter have become a common occurrence in the Kurdistan Region in recent years, at times reaching disastrous levels and resulting in casualties and great damage.
A wave of deadly and destructive floods swept through the Kurdistan Region in late 2021 and early 2022, with the Kurdish capital of Erbil bearing the brunt of the heavy rainstorms. At least 826 families were affected by the floods, which killed twelve people, including a ten-month-old baby.
The Ministry of Municipality and Tourism at the time assessed the cost of damages caused by the second flood as more than 21 billion dinars (over $14 million).
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