Death toll rises to 5 in picnic tragedy

According to the information received, the Karakaya family, residing in the village of Bostankent, went to the Alpaslan-1 Dam Lake for a picnic. When Rabia Karakaya (13) entered the lake and was in danger of drowning, other family members entered the water to save her.

Yasin (18), Edanur (20), and Fatma Karakaya (22), along with Eylül Tekin (15), who entered the water, also disappeared in the water shortly after. As a result of the efforts made by AFAD teams dispatched to the scene upon notification and citizens in the region, the lifeless bodies of Rabia, Yasin, and Edanur Karakaya, as well as Eylül Tekin, were found.

Search efforts for Fatma Hediye Karakaya, who went missing in the water, continued until nighttime. Frogmen from the Underwater Group Command attached to the Bitlis Security Directorate's Protection Branch, who carried out the work with the help of AFAD Underwater Search and Rescue, the National Medical Rescue Team (UMKE), gendarmerie, police, and fire department teams, reached the lifeless body of Fatma Karakaya. Karakaya's body, which was removed from the water and handed over to medical teams, was taken to Muş State Hospital for an autopsy.

Muş Deputy Governor Tahir Yılmaz, who went to the scene with Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Senior Colonel Mehmet Kasım Ermiş, said that a report was received by the 112 Emergency Call Center around 15:30 today that 5 people had gone missing in the water. Yılmaz, who followed the search and rescue efforts on-site, wished the family condolences and patience.

Stating that the diver teams in the region were notified immediately as a result of the report, Deputy Governor Yılmaz said, "When we arrived here, we determined that 3 of our citizens had been recovered. Later, we reached our 4th citizen. As of this hour, with the support of our divers, we have also reached our 5th citizen. The forensic medicine and the prosecutor's office are following the matter. We will bury our deceased. We offer our condolences to the family. It is a sad situation that we wish had not happened."

Bostankent village headman Ali Rıza Tekin, who said he learned that 5 people had entered the water when he arrived at the scene, stated, "I called those who knew how to swim in the village. We recovered 4 people. It is a great pain. Losing 5 people from one family is a very difficult situation. Those who lost their lives are my cousins. After the autopsy is performed, we will bring the bodies and bury them."

News Source: İHA