ISTANBUL, Feb 12 — 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, Anadolu Ajansi reported citing a medical group.
More than 27 people, including women, children and elderly individuals, were travelling 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 defence 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 defence 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 specialised 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.
