At least 15 people killed after ferry capsizes in Nile River in Sudan: Medical group
More than 27 people, including women and children, were traveling on ferry that sank in Shendi district in Nile River province, says Sudan Doctors Network
File Photo
ISTANBUL
A passenger ferry with more than 27 people on board sank Wednesday in the Nile River in northern Sudan, leaving at least 15 people dead, according to a medical group.
More than 27 people, including women, children and elderly individuals, were traveling on the ferry between the Taiba Al-Khawad and Deim Al-Qarray areas in the Shendi locality, the Sudan Doctors Network said in a statement.
It said that 15 bodies have been recovered so far and six people rescued, while local residents and civil defense teams continue to search for those still missing.
The network said the tragedy highlights the vulnerability of river transport and the lack of basic safety measures as well as the absence of local authorities and civil defense teams during the initial hours, “which exacerbated the scale of the disaster.”
“The Sudan Doctors Network demands that the competent authorities take urgent action to dispatch specialized rescue teams and search and recovery equipment,” it added, calling for immediate measures to ensure the safety of river transport and prevent the recurrence of such disasters that claim the lives of the innocent.
