A Hamilton couple is appealing to the Canadian government for help locating Ghussan Iqbal, 31, and his two young children (aged two years and seven months), who went missing in Changuinola, Panama, on May 21. The search is complicated by dense jungle terrain and a lack of resources, prompting calls for Canada to deploy assistance like search dogs and heat-capable drones.
Hamilton family appeals to Ottawa for help locating Canadian man, 2 kids missing in Panama
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️A Hamilton couple is appealing to the Canadian government for help locating Ghussan Iqbal, 31, and his two young children (aged two years and seven months), who went missing in Changuinola, Panama, on May 21. The search is complicated by dense jungle terrain and a lack of resources, prompting calls for Canada to deploy assistance like search dogs and heat-capable drones.
Trending- 1 May 21: Ghussan Iqbal and children go missing. Fatima messages family.
- 2 May 22: Amber alerts issued for the two children by local ministry.
- 3 May 23: Sulman Iqbal and Nagham Azzam-Iqbal travel to Panama.
- 4 Monday (May 26): Emergency crews seen part of search under a tent.
- 5 Tuesday (May 27): Nagham Azzam-Iqbal speaks to CBC from Panama, appealing for Canadian government help.
- Extreme concern for the well-being of the missing children
- Complicated search efforts due to terrain and lack of resources
- Family appealing for international government assistance
- Potential for serious harm to the vulnerable individuals
What: Ghussan Iqbal, a Canadian man with diagnosed mental health issues, and his two young Canadian citizen children (aged two years and seven months) went missing from Changuinola, Panama. His family in Hamilton, Canada, is appealing to the Canadian government for resources to aid the search.
When: Ghussan Iqbal and children went missing on May 21; family received message on May 21 afternoon; Sulman Iqbal and Nagham Azzam-Iqbal travelled to Panama on May 23; Amber alerts issued May 22; Azzam-Iqbal spoke to CBC on Tuesday morning (May 27).
Where: Changuinola, Bocas del Toro province, Panama (near Costa Rica border); Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (family's location); Hamilton Mountain (Ghussan's previous residence).
Why: Ghussan Iqbal and his children are missing under concerning circumstances, possibly due to his mental health issues. The local Panamanian authorities lack sufficient resources (e.g., search dogs, heat-capable drones) to conduct an effective search in the dense jungle terrain, necessitating Canadian government intervention.
How: Ghussan's wife, Fatima, reported them missing. His brother, Sulman Iqbal, and sister-in-law, Nagham Azzam-Iqbal, traveled to Panama to assist. They have contacted MP Lisa Hepfner and Global Affairs Canada, requesting Canadian government resources to aid the search efforts by Panamanian authorities and local communities.