New Safety Station Opens at Popular Kurdish River

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - A new permanent safety station is now operating at Derbend River in Ranya, with the Raparin Civil Defense Directorate deploying teams around the clock to monitor visitors and respond to emergencies as rising water levels draw increasing numbers of tourists to the area.

The station, named the Derbend River Protection Station, was established to protect the lives of tourists and residents and provide rapid assistance in emergency situations.

Raed Ali Qadir, spokesperson for the Raparin Civil Defense Directorate, told Kurdistan24 that rising water levels at Derbend River have attracted large numbers of tourists.

Many residents are also swimming in the water, while the number of tourist boats in the area has increased, prompting authorities to establish the permanent station, he said.

The station provides 24-hour monitoring of visitors’ safety.

Qadir said the station had already responded to an emergency within its first 24 hours of operation.

“Over the past 24 hours, the teams at the station, through surveillance cameras, saw that a woman was in danger and were able to reach her and rescue her from drowning,” he said.

Qadir said 15 employees have been divided into three teams and are continuously monitoring tourists in the area.

He added that similar stations are planned to be established in several other areas.

Qadir said this Station was established after a record of five drowning cases across the Raparin area since the beginning of this year.

He explained that, because the area contains numerous rivers and streams, the highest number of drowning cases has been recorded in the Pshdar district.