Search intensifies for missing child in northern Türkiye

A large-scale search operation is underway in northern Türkiye for an 8-year-old boy who went missing after falling into a river on April 26, authorities said.

The child, identified as Osman Tash, disappeared in the village of Yufkali in the Korgan district. As of April 28, search efforts have entered their third day, according to TRT Haber.

Multiple emergency and rescue units have been deployed to the area, including teams from AFAD, the gendarmerie, UMKE, the Şemdinli Search and Rescue Association, and local municipal services.

Specialised diving teams from the police and gendarmerie in Van Province, along with regional AFAD units, have joined the operation. The search is primarily focused around the nearby villages of Oveç and Beyrudu.

Rescue teams are combing the riverbed and surrounding shoreline, conducting both underwater and land-based searches. Despite intensive efforts, no trace of the child has been found so far.

Emergency medical teams remain on standby at the scene, while the boy’s family and local residents continue to wait anxiously for updates. Authorities have not yet indicated how long the search operation will continue.

By Sabina Mammadli