Volunteers from neighboring regions have joined the search for 8-year-old Khizir Derbichev, who was swept away by the Sunzha River several days ago near the village of Yandare in the Nazran District.

Volunteers from Chechnya, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia, Dagestan, and Karachay-Cherkessia have responded to the search. 500 volunteers and over 40 searchers have arrived from Chechnya alone, Maryam Chataeva, information coordinator of the KAVKAZ search and rescue team, told the Chechnya Segodnya news agency.

"Emergency Ministry personnel, more than 35 search and rescue personnel from the Vainakh search and rescue team of the Republic of Ingushetia, more than 40 search and rescue personnel from the Kavkaz search and rescue team of the Chechen Republic, and over 500 volunteers are working in the area. The total number of people who have joined the operation in recent days continues to increase," the coordinator added.

The head of Ingushetia, Makhmud-Ali Kalimatov, also arrived in the area where the rescue operation is taking place. By order of the republic's authorities, the flow of the Sunzha River has been temporarily blocked in certain sections. This is being done to thoroughly examine the riverbed and hard-to-reach areas where the missing child may potentially be located.

The search area for the boy has been significantly expanded. In addition to Ingushetia, efforts are underway in the Sernovodsk District and the village of Samashki in Chechnya.

Khizir Derbichev was swept away by the raging currents of the Sunzha River on the afternoon of June 15. Witnesses to the incident said he was near the water with two friends. One of them, Adam, slipped and fell into the river. He managed to grab a branch, and Khizir rushed to his aid. The third boy, Muhammad K., went for help. Along the way, he encountered a family heading to work. They were the ones who managed to pull Adam out; he managed to cling to a tree and survived. By that time, Khizir had never been seen again.