Sudan Ferry Sinks in Nile, 21 Confirmed Dead as Rescue Efforts Continue
At least 21 people have been killed after a passenger ferry capsized and sank in the Nile River in Sudan, triggering a desperate search and rescue operation for survivors. The tragic river accident occurred on Wednesday in the Tayba Al-Khawad area, north of Khartoum, when the vessel overturned while carrying 30 passengers between the villages of Tayba Al-Khawad and Deim Al-Qarai.
According to reports, the ferry capsized due to high waves in a section of the Nile, causing panic among passengers that included women, elderly people and children. Residents who witnessed the incident rushed to assist alongside rescue teams, working frantically to pull survivors from the water as civil defense units arrived at the scene to begin recovery operations.
So far, eight passengers have survived the deadly Nile ferry disaster, while 21 people have been confirmed dead and one individual remains missing. The incident was confirmed in a statement issued Wednesday evening by the Sudan Doctors Network.
In its statement, the Sudan Doctors Network described the incident as a painful humanitarian tragedy, highlighting what it called the fragility of river transport and the absence of basic safety requirements. The organisation also cited the lack of immediate presence of local authorities and civil defense rescue teams in the early hours of the accident, stating that this exacerbated the scale of the disaster.
The medical network, which monitors developments related to Sudan’s ongoing conflict, urged authorities to strengthen emergency response systems by increasing the deployment of rescue teams and equipment to accelerate ongoing search efforts and improve river transport safety measures.
The Nile ferry capsizing underscores ongoing concerns over passenger safety, emergency preparedness and infrastructure standards in Sudan’s river transport sector, as rescue teams continue efforts to locate the remaining missing passenger.
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