ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A family outing to Erbil province's Soran area ended in tragedy late Friday when a vehicle carrying five people veered off the road and plunged into the river in the Gali Ali Bag canyon, leaving three children missing and sparking an ongoing search operation.
The incident occurred around 10:00pm near Kani Maran waterfalls on the Hamilton Road, connecting Erbil to the Haji Omaran border crossing with Iran. According to initial accounts, the driver lost control of the vehicle, which then fell into the fast-moving river.
Two passengers - the parents - were rescued from the incident, while three children - Adam Khurshid, 3, Lawand Khurshid, 7, and Mina Issa, 17 - remain missing after sinking with the vehicle.
Such incidents are not uncommon in the mountainous areas of the Kurdistan Region, where narrow roads, steep valleys, and popular tourism spots like Gali Ali Bag often see increased traffic, especially during spring and holidays.
"We saw a light plunging into the river. When we went to look, we found a woman on the riverbank who was safe. My brother, another person, and I went down and pulled the woman up using a belt. We saw the driver of the car emerge from the river further downstream. If it weren't for my brother, the mother of the children would have thrown herself into the river out of grief for her kids,” Jabar Khurshid, an eyewitness, recounted the harrowing scene to Rudaw.