Thousands of people attended the funeral of a child who drowned in Ingushetia.

In the village of Troitskaya in the Sunzha District, an eight-year-old boy whose body was found in the river after an eight-day search was buried. Thousands of people, including volunteers from neighboring republics, attended the funeral of the child, who drowned while trying to save a friend.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," a search for an eight-year-old child missing in the Sunzha River has been underway in Karabulak since June 15. On June 18, the head of the republic, Makhmud-Ali Kalimatov, reported on his Telegram channel that 4,000 people were participating in the search. Volunteers from Chechnya, Dagestan, North Ossetia, and Kabardino-Balkaria have also come to the rescue. Against this backdrop, Chechen authorities reported prayers from Kadyrov's sons for a successful search for an eight-year-old boy in Ingushetia, as well as the participation of Chechen security forces and officials in the search. Today, on the eighth day of the search, the boy's body was discovered in Sunzha.

This evening, a funeral was held in Troitskaya for eight-year-old Khizir, whose search over the past week united residents of Ingushetia and neighboring republics. The child's body was found near Kalimatova Street in the city of Sunzha. He was initially taken to the hospital, but later this afternoon he was delivered to his family's home.

Thousands of people attended the funeral, including search participants from other regions, rescuers, and religious figures, Fortanga reports.

People were touched by the courage and selflessness of a child who was drowning in the Sunzha River while trying to save his friend who had fallen into the water. The boy managed to escape, but Khizir was swept away by the strong current.

“Khizir was by the river with two friends. One of them, Adam, slipped and fell into the water. He was lucky enough to grab onto a branch, and Khizir rushed to save him. The third boy, Muhammad, ran for help. Along the way, he encountered a family leaving for work. They were the ones who saved Adam – he miraculously clung to a tree root and survived,” the publication said.

Tens of thousands of people mourned the boy’s fate during the search; volunteers came to Ingushetia not only from neighboring republics but also from abroad. The boy's body was carried to the cemetery "to cries of takbir" through the entire village, while residents, volunteers, and guests from various regions walked in the funeral procession, The Magas Times reports.

"Khizir passed away displaying qualities that few adults possess. While trying to save a drowning friend, he didn't think about himself. (...) One little boy united people more powerfully than many loud calls and events. Thousands of volunteers participated in the search, coming not only from across the Caucasus but also from other regions of Russia and around the world," the channel's post reads.