Five days after the tragic incident, the search operations are still ongoing for the body of the young Iraqi school, “Avista Youssef Berzanji”, who is 27 years old, which was washed away by the waters of the “Tancker” river in the northern Erbil governorate during her heroic attempt to save her brother during a family outing.
Avista succeeded in saving her brother Hussein, who is now participating in the civil defense teams in searching for her, while more than 120 rescue teams, with the support of Erbil and Aqra, continue their intensive efforts without finding any trace of them so far.
The region is witnessing a remarkable societal solidarity, as the people flock daily to the accident site to provide moral and material support, and to prepare food for the rescue teams that use all available means, including underwater cameras, rescue boats, drones, and even helicopters.
Youssef Barzanji, the father of “Avista, the details of the last moments of 964 network, said:” We were on a simple family outing with “Avista”, Hussein and some relatives. Suddenly, Hussein slipped and fell into the river, and “Avista” rushed without hesitation to save him.
Despite the depth of the place, she managed to push him to safety, but she could not go out.
I was feeling mysterious anxiety, and warned her against approaching the water, but she chose her brother’s life for her life, she sacrificed herself courageously, and I hope that God will accept her as a martyr.
For his part, Carwan Miwandley, Director of Civil Defense in Suran, told the Iraqi 964 network: “From the first moment, more than 120 elements have been involved in extensive searches, using all available technologies. We covered 20 kilometers from the river, but heavy rains, the speed of current, and the difficult terrain posed great challenges. ”
Participation is not only limited to rescue teams, but the people go beyond them with a daily basis support.
Zahir Aziz, a resident of the region, told the Iraqi 964 network: “Avista”, the daughter of everyone here, today, only we prepared meals for more than 300 people, since the first day, people volunteer to prepare food and coordinate their distribution to the family and the participating teams. “
Despite the passage of days, the “Avista” family remains adhering to the hope of finding its body.
Her father, Kak Youssef, stands at the banks of the river with eyes full of sorrow, while Hussein, her brother, is the guilt while repeating: “I wish I were instead of her”, in a scene that tears hearts.
