Hope Remains: The Search for Khizir Derbichev from Ingushetia Continues for Five Days
Thousands of rescuers and volunteers in Ingushetia and Chechnya are continuing their search for eight-year-old Khizir Derbichev for the fifth day. He was swept away by the Sunzha River.
The search initially began near the village of Yandare in Ingushetia's Nazran District, where the accident occurred. The operation has now expanded to Chechnya along the coastline in the Sernovodsk and Achkhoy-Martan Districts. In addition to hundreds of volunteers, personnel from the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Chechen National Guard are participating in the operation, including dog handlers, engineers, divers, and drone specialists.
A total of approximately 6,000 people are involved in the search operation, 4,500 of whom are volunteers. They came from Chechnya, Dagestan, North Ossetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, and other regions. Some are combing the shoreline, others are assisting rescuers on the water.
Furthermore, their support is not limited to those directly involved in the search. Thousands of residents of the North Caucasus republics have come to Ingushetia to share the pain and anxiety of Khizir's family and the entire people of the republic. Many want to be there during these difficult times, expressing words of support and solidarity. Tens of thousands more are following the search with bated breath, praying for the boy, giving alms, and asking the Almighty for a successful outcome, experiencing this tragedy as if it were their own.
As of 12:20 PM on June 19, search operations are ongoing.
An observation post has been established near Sleptsovsk (Ingushetia). Search teams have been organized on the Karabulak side. Participants are lined up with a distance of approximately 3 meters between teams.
Flood control operations are planned for approximately 2:00 PM. When the river level drops to a safe level, search teams will enter the water on command.
As a reminder, a tragedy occurred near the village of Yandare on June 15. A group of children were enjoying the river when one of them began to drown. Eight-year-old Khizir rushed to his friend's aid. He managed to save his friend, but was swept away by the powerful current that prevented him from getting out of the water.
