Tragedy on Nile as ferry sinks, leaving 15 dead in Sudan

At least 15 people have been killed after a passenger ferry carrying more than 27 people capsized in the Nile River in northern Sudan, according to 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 on Wednesday.

The group said 15 bodies have been recovered so far and six people rescued, while residents and civil defence teams continue searching for those still missing.

The Sudan Doctors 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.

It said the lack of immediate response "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," the statement added.

The group also called for immediate measures to ensure the safety of river transport and to prevent the recurrence of such disasters that claim the lives of innocent people.

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Source: TRT