12-year-old boy drowns in quarry pit

A tragic incident occurred in Turkey's Oltu district, where a 12-year-old boy drowned in a quarry pit. Ertuğrul Akyüz, a student at Hattat Hasan Çelebi Middle School and a participant in a summer Quran course, had gone to the pit with friends after playing soccer.

The group entered the water-filled quarry, a result of excavation work. Akyüz began to struggle, and his friends, unable to rescue him, sought help. Emergency services, including health, fire, AFAD, and search and rescue teams, were dispatched to the scene.

Crews worked to lower the water level by creating a channel with an excavator. Sadly, Ertuğrul Akyüz's lifeless body was recovered. Following an examination by the public prosecutor and an autopsy, his body was released to his family.

A funeral prayer was held for Akyüz at the Oltu Aslanpaşa Mosque after the afternoon prayer. His friends, who had attended the Quran course with him, were visibly distressed and wept during the ceremony. His body was then taken to Kaleboğazı Mahallesi for a second funeral prayer before being laid to rest in the local cemetery. His father, Hasan Akyüz, was seen struggling to stand during the funeral, highlighting the profound grief experienced by the family and community.