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At least 21 people drowned after a boat sank in the Nile River in northern Sudan, local authorities and eyewitnesses told AFP.
River Nile State officials said Thursday that 21 bodies had been recovered, listing the names of the deceased, and noted that some passengers remain missing.
The boat was crossing the river between the villages of Tayba al-Khawad and Deim al-Qarai, according to the local government’s statement. The cause of the accident has not been disclosed.
Eyewitnesses reported that the vessel was carrying around 30 people. The Sudanese Doctors Network said six passengers survived.
The group said the incident reveals “the fragility of river transport and the absence of basic safety requirements, as well as the complete absence of local authorities and civil defence rescue teams in the early hours of the incident.”
Many Sudanese rely on single-engine boats operated by solo captains. The country’s infrastructure has deteriorated due to a nearly three-year war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which has caused road closures and disrupted public services, including healthcare and education.
