At a Glance

• Five climbers from Duhok who went missing on Mount Halgurd due to severe weather and heavy fog have been safely located and returned to their camp.

• Rawand Hawdyani, spokesperson for Soran Civil Defense, reported that a group of seven hikers had visited the mountain, with five venturing out from camp before losing their way.

• Joint search and rescue operations involving five specialized teams from the Soran and Choman Civil Defense directorates successfully tracked down the missing individuals after several hours.

• Mount Halgurd is located in the Choman district of the Erbil Governorate, standing approximately 175 kilometers northeast of Erbil.

Rescue teams in the Kurdistan Region successfully concluded a search operation on Mount Halgurd, bringing five stranded hikers back to safety following deteriorating weather conditions.

Incident and Rescue Operation

• The Missing Group: Out of a group of seven visitors from Duhok, five individuals left their base camp while two remained behind. Heavy fog and snow caused the five climbers to lose their bearings and break contact.

• Coordinated Response: Soran and Choman civil defense units deployed five teams to comb the rugged terrain, ultimately locating the hikers and ensuring their safe return to camp.

• Official Confirmation: The Director of Tourism in Choman confirmed that all five climbers were successfully recovered unharmed.

FYI

Mount Halgurd is one of the highest peaks in Iraq, situated within the Zagros mountain range along the border between Choman and Haji Omeran, known for its challenging alpine conditions during sudden weather shifts.