12Punto obtains photos of Quran course students who drowned in Fırtına Creek

Six students studying at the Tolunoğlu Dursun Efendi Regional Boarding Quran Course, affiliated with the Presidency of Religious Affairs in the Ardeşen district of Rize, entered the Fırtına Creek with their course instructor, Abdülhamit Yıldırtan.

The incident occurred around 17:00 the day before yesterday in the Fırtına Creek, which flows through the Ardeşen district.

While 2 of the 6 students swept away by the creek's current were rescued with the help of instructors and bystanders, 4 students went missing. The course instructor, Abdülhamit Yıldırtan, who was supervising the students, also faced the danger of drowning.

Upon notification, numerous health, AFAD, gendarmerie, AKUT, and fire department teams were dispatched to the region for the students. Search and rescue operations were initiated by the teams. While 2 students were rescued during the search conducted with boats and divers, the lifeless bodies of 2 students were recovered.

As part of the investigation launched by the Pazar Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the incident, the Quran course instructor, Abdülhamit Yıldırtan, who was with the students when they entered the creek, was taken into custody by the police.

After completing his procedures at the police station, Yıldırtan was arrested at the courthouse where he was referred on charges of 'causing the death and injury of more than one person by negligence'.

GOVERNOR: IF THERE IS NEGLIGENCE, WE WILL PURSUE IT

Rize Governor İhsan Selim Baydaş stated, “When our young people were swept away by the current and drifted further, those around them, including their instructor, jumped into the creek to save them. The instructor was also one of those who was swept away by the current and faced the danger of drowning. There were a total of 6 of our brothers and sisters swept away by the current. 2 of them got out of the water by their own means. One of the 2 people rescued by the teams is in critical condition, and the treatment of our other young person continues. We lost 2 of our children in the incident. Their funerals are being handed over to their families today and they are being sent off to their hometowns. I wish patience for their families. An official was taken into custody as part of the investigation launched by the prosecutor's office. The matter is being thoroughly investigated. If there is a deficiency or negligence here, we will pursue it. However, as a result of the judicial process initiated by our prosecutor's office, the official who was in charge of the students has been arrested.”

THE LAST FRAME BEFORE THEY DIED

Of the 4 students swept away by the current in the creek they entered to cool off, Şifa Elğay and Muhammed Koç lost their lives, while Vefa E. and Yaşar G. were taken under treatment at the hospital.

The deceased course student Şifa Elğay had shared the message “Death has no calendar, live with your head held high” on her social media account. Here is the message Şifa Elğay shared on social media:

The students had taken their memorization (hafızlık) exam at the Quran course where they were studying one day prior and were preparing to go home.

12Punto has obtained the last photograph taken the day before their deaths.

Eight Quran course students who were going to take the memorization exam had taken a photo together with their instructors.

HERE IS THAT PHOTO:

In the announcement posters published by the Tolunoğlu Dursun Efendi Regional Boarding Quran Course, it was emphasized that it was an official institution associated with both the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Ministry of National Education.

The “Basic Religious Knowledge” exam prepared by the Presidency of Religious Affairs was also officially held at this institution.

Additionally, Rize Provincial Mufti Naci Çakmakçı and Ardeşen District Mufti Mehmet Genç also visited the Tolunoğlu Dursun Efendi Regional Boarding Quran Course.

Events such as the “Youth Camp” of the Rize Mufti's Office were also held at the Tolunoğlu Dursun Efendi Regional Boarding Quran Course.