ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - At least four people were killed, dozens were injured or went missing, and hundreds of homes and businesses were damaged after heavy rains triggered widespread flooding across the Kurdistan Region this week, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said on Wednesday.

Powerful flash floods struck the region on Tuesday, most heavily affecting Sulaimani province’s Chamchamal district and causing a total blackout as authorities scrambled to assist citizens.

In a report on the matter, the KRG described the past two days of heavy rainfall, noting that Tuesday's rain in Sulaimani province was "heavy," with Chamchamal district and Takya experiencing "extremely intense" rainfall.

Flooding in Sulaimani province killed two people, injured two, and left one missing, the KRG reported.

Dozens of vehicles were swept away, 500 homes in Chamchamal and several others in the province were damaged, and more than 100 shops, five government offices, and the Chamchamal Library were flooded. 

The flooding also disrupted electricity and internet services, and submerged 400 fish ponds in the Shwan sub-district.

The KRG also reported damages in Kirkuk province, which more severely affected the Garmian administration.

Heavy rainfall caused flooding that killed two children, damaged homes, shops, bridges, and roads, and disrupted daily life. 

In Kirkuk, a 7-year-old child who drowned during the flooding, and in Kalar district (part of the Garmian Independent Administration), another child died after falling into floodwaters, the statement added.

The information received by The New Region reported that two more people, a woman and a man, lost their lives on Wednesday in Kirkuk. The woman was reportedly killed when an electricity pole short-circuited during the widespread flooding, and the man, a municipality worker, also died amid the storm.

The floods also caused extensive damage, with water entering a school in Kirkuk, a bridge in Laylan sub-district swept away, and several roads closed. In Garmian, several shops and homes were damaged, inflicting significant material and financial losses on residents, the report said.

Following the report, the KRG statement added that “compensation committees for affected persons have been formed” in both Sulaimani province and Garmian “to assess material damages and compensate the affected.” 

In Duhok and Halabja, moderate to heavy rain fell, raising the Sirwan River level and blocking some waterways, though no significant damage was reported.

In Erbil province, damage was limited, with six Peshmerga lightly injured by lightning on the Balisan borders, five of whom were treated and discharged, while one was transferred to the hospital for further care, the statement said. 

Iraq is facing one of the worst droughts since its establishment, according to officials. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported in 2024 that climate change has displaced more than 170,000 people in 12 provinces due to drought, falling water levels, and expanding desertification.