ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Sunday offered condolences to the families of two people killed in overnight flooding in Erbil, including a five-year-old boy, during a phone call with their relatives.

Parts of Erbil were hit by flash floods on Saturday night, killing a five-year-old boy and a 25-year-old wheel loader operator who was helping people trapped in the water.

Prime Minister Barzani “offered condolences by telephone to the families and relatives of the victims of last night’s flood in Erbil city, the late Muhammad Rasul and Mustafa Sarkawt, and conveyed to them his deep sympathy,” the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said in a statement.

Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw also attended the victims’ funerals on Barzani’s behalf and conveyed his condolences to their families.

Footage circulating online showed vehicles trapped under water, while floodwaters seeped into homes and businesses, causing extensive damage.

On Saturday, the premier directed local authorities “to take every necessary measure to come to the people’s aid and to protect the safety of citizens’ lives and property.”

Erbil civil defense teams on Sunday remained deployed across the province, pulling vehicles out of flooded areas, clearing mud-covered streets and assisting families whose homes had been submerged.

The Kurdistan Region experienced major flooding last winter, with heavy rainfall in December causing several flash floods of varying severity in Sulaimani, Erbil and Duhok.

At the time, the KRG formed compensation committees in affected areas to assess damages and support victims.

Erbil is vulnerable to flooding because heavy rainfall over short periods can overwhelm its drainage system. The city's flat terrain and surrounding hills also cause runoff from nearby areas to flow into urban neighborhoods.