Kurdistan Region PM chairs emergency meeting about deadly Erbil floods

Halgurd Sherwani 2021/12/17 15:09

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani chairs an emergency meeting in Erbil after deadly flash floods that morning. (Photo: KRG)

Kurdistan Erbil Kurdistan Region Krg Flooding Weather Rain

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani chaired a meeting at Erbil's provincial building with local authorities on Friday afternoon about the regional government's response to deadly flash floods early that morning.

According to a statement released by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the meeting convened at 3:00 p.m. with relevant authorities in attendance that included regional cabinet members.

Barzani, it continued, "will closely follow up on the measures that are taken to help those affected by the flood."

According to another statement, the prime minister is expected to visit affected areas, assess needed emergency aid, and call for a review of infrastructure planning.

Heavy rainfall beginning late Thursday night has caused flooding across neighborhoods and rural outskirts of Erbil, causing significant material damage to property, homes, and vehicles.

Earlier in the day, Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw told Kurdistan 24 on Friday afternoon that the official death toll from flash floods early that morning had gone from eight to 11.

Khoshnaw told Kurdistan 24 earlier on Friday that a number of private residences had sustained “significant damage,” and that seven of the eight victims being reported at the time had been killed by the actual flooding, while the last died after being struck by lightning.

Among the victims is 10-month-old Danar Nabaz, who is missing as a result of the flooding and is presumed dead. Local authorities have reported that rescue teams have been deployed and are searching for the infant's body.

“I'm deeply saddened by the loss of lives and damage caused by last night's heavy rain and flood,” wrote Barzani in a previous statement, adding that he had “instructed all government agencies to provide immediate support and relief to areas affected.”

Post-rain flooding is a perennial issue in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq as a whole, caused in large part by insufficient infrastructure, including inefficient or poorly-maintained rural or urban rainwater management and sewage systems.