Bodies of 13 Kurdish migrants returned to Kurdistan after drowning in Italy

Shafaq News/ On Saturday, a source from the Health Department of Ranya in the Raparin Administration, Kurdistan Region, reported the arrival of the bodies of several Kurdish migrants at the Rania forensic department.

According to our correspondent, "The remains of 13 Kurdish migrants who drowned in Italian waters in June were returned to Kurdistan today and will be buried by their families.

The source, who preferred to remain anonymous, informed Shafaq News Agency that "the families of the Kurdish migrant victims gathered this morning at the forensic department in Ranya to receive the bodies of eight individuals from Rania and Lazi."

Our correspondent added that among the deceased were two migrants from Erbil, including a mother and her three-year-old child, eight bodies from the Raparin Administration, and three bodies of Kurds from Iran."

On June 19, a mourning ceremony was held in Erbil for two families who lost several members in the tragedy off the Italian coast.

Bakhtiar Ismail, a relative of one of the victims, told Shafaq News, "The families left for Turkiye five months ago and had been living in Istanbul. They initially agreed with a smuggler to be transported to Europe by air, but the smuggler later informed them they would be transported by truck. Eventually, he told them they would be taken by boat across the Mediterranean Sea."

He added, "The families set off for Italy, and we lost contact with them last. We tried to reach the smugglers, but they eventually cut off all communications."

Ismail continued, "We received the news of their drowning. Eight of our relatives were on the boat, and only a woman and two children survived. They are now in Italian hospitals in a severe psychological state."

Regarding how they confirmed the deaths of the others, Ismail explained, "The surviving woman is my cousin. She told us she saw her husband, children, sister, and her sister's husband drown before her eyes."

He pointed out, "The boat was only suitable for 20 people, but it was carrying 72 passengers. Some died of thirst."

It is noteworthy that the Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani has ordered an investigation into the incident and the repatriation of the victims' bodies.

On June 20, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced that it had sent a special team to Italy to follow up on the incident.