Shafaq News– Erbil
Kurdistan Region authorities reported more than 9,402 fire incidents and 85 fatalities from various emergencies in 2025, even as they highlighted expanded rescue capacity and new rapid-response teams aimed at strengthening crisis management across the region.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Civil Defense spokesperson Lt. Col. Sarkut Karsh said that the figure marked a decline in fire incidents compared with 2024, noting that a total of 12,345 incidents were recorded last year across the Region.
Karsh said winter flooding accounted for 508 incidents, while civil defense teams rescued 1,126 people from life-threatening situations. Despite the rescue efforts, he said overall incidents resulted in 85 deaths, a higher toll than the previous year.
On drowning cases, Karsh said 68 people lost their lives in rivers and waterways in 2025, with Erbil province recording the highest number at 26 cases, mostly in the Khabat district near the Greater Zab River. Most victims were between 15 and 20 years old, he added.
Karsh also reported that 18 civil defense officers were injured while on duty, along with several civilians who sustained minor injuries during rescue operations.
To bolster operational capacity, he said the Kurdish Interior Ministry supplied the directorate with 20 advanced Scania fire engines and three specialized ladder trucks equipped with hydraulic systems. The procurement contracts, he added, include training programs to improve personnel skills in operating modern equipment.
Separately, the Kurdistan Region’s Joint Crisis Coordination Center (JCC) announced the activation of two new rapid-response teams in cooperation with Germany’s consulate, extending emergency coverage to the Raparin autonomous administration and the Shaqlawa district.
JCC Director Sarwa Rasul said the Region now operates nine rapid-response teams trained under academic standards and fully equipped to intervene in sudden and unexpected emergencies. The two new units, she said, were established through direct coordination between the Interior Ministry and the German consulate.
Rasul added that crisis coordination centers across the region are now linked through an integrated communications network to ensure close coordination between medical emergency services and civil defense units. She said the teams undergo continuous training to respond to a wide range of scenarios, from natural disasters to major accidents.