A large-scale search and rescue operation is continuing in Russia’s Ingushetia region after an eight-year-old boy went missing in the Sunzha River near the town of Karabulak on June 15.
According to eyewitness accounts, two boys were near the riverbank when one of them slipped into the water. The second boy, identified as Khizir Derbichev, reportedly attempted to rescue his friend but was swept away by the strong current, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.
One of the children managed to cling to branches and survive until help arrived, while Khizir has not yet been found.
Since the incident was reported, emergency services, government officials, and thousands of volunteers have joined what local authorities describe as one of the region’s largest rescue operations in recent years.
As of June 20, search efforts remain ongoing, with teams systematically dividing sections of the river to improve the chances of locating the missing child. Rescuers have also begun restricting access to parts of the riverbed to conduct more thorough searches along the shoreline and underwater areas.
Volunteers have traveled from across the North Caucasus, including Chechnya, Dagestan, North Ossetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, and Karachay-Cherkessia, to assist in the operation.
Officials said more than 20,000 people have been involved in the search effort, which continues with no confirmed breakthrough so far.
By Sabina Mammadli
