At a Glance

• Two young victims from the migrant boat disaster will arrive at Erbil International Airport tomorrow.

• Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani is fully funding the repatriation and local funeral services.

• Parents are providing DNA samples as Turkish rescue teams continue searching for 12-year-old Hastyar.

Channel8 has learned that the bodies of two children from a Slemani family who drowned on October 14 between Turkey and Greece have been handed over to their relatives, with repatriation to Erbil International Airport and subsequent transport home scheduled for tomorrow.

Key Statements and Focus Area

• The children’s uncle, Barzan Raza, told Channel8 that a funeral service will be held immediately following the return of the bodies. 

• The repatriation costs are being covered entirely by Qubad Talabani, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government. 

The children's relative, Barzan Raza, stated that DNA samples will be collected from his sister and brother-in-law to assist in the identification process. 

These genetic profiles will be utilized by authorities to cross-reference the bodies of any children discovered in the area in the future. 

Additionally, search teams in Turkey have promised to continuously track down the location of the family's third child, 12-year-old Hastyar.

FYI

A family of five from Slemani, seeking to reach Europe, attempted to cross the maritime border between Turkey and Greece by boat on October 13. 

The following day, the vessel capsized after carrying the family alongside another migrant and two smugglers into a treacherous river current. 

While the parents, the fellow migrant, and the two smugglers survived the incident, two of the children tragically drowned and the third remains missing. 

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