ISTANBUL

At least 21 people were killed when a passenger ferry carrying more than 27 people capsized in the Nile River in northern Sudan, local authorities said Thursday.

The local government in the Nile River state said the bodies of 21 people had already been recovered after the incident, which occurred on Wednesday, while search efforts were continuing for those still missing.

Local media reported that the boat, carrying more than 27 people, including women, children and elderly people, capsized as it was sailing between the Taiba Al-Khawad and Deim Al-Qarray areas in the Shendi locality.

Separately, the Sudan Doctors Network said in a statement that 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.”

It called on authorities “to take urgent action to dispatch specialized rescue teams and search and recovery equipment” and demanded immediate measures to ensure the safety of river transport and prevent the recurrence of such disasters that claim the lives of innocent people.