AT least 21 people have tragically drowned after a boat capsized in the Nile as rescuers frantically work to find the remaining passengers.
The passenger ferry was carrying 30 people when it overturned in the Tayba-Al-Khawad area of Sudan on Wednesday.
Residents who witnessed the horrific ordeal worked alongside rescue teams to help the passengers, which included women, elderly people and children.
The ferry had been transporting passengers between the villages of Tayba Al-Khawad and Deim Al-Qarai when disaster struck.
A source said the boat capsized in part of the river north of Khartoum due to high waves, while civil defence units rushed to the scene to start the rescue and recovery operation, according to Mehr News.
Just eight passengers have survived the terrifying accident, with 21 dead and another still missing.
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The incident was confirmed in a statement from the Sudan Doctors Network on Wednesday evening.
“This painful humanitarian tragedy once again reveals the fragility of river transport and the absence of basic safety requirements, in addition to the complete absence of local authorities and civil defence rescue teams in the early hours of the incident,” the statement read.
“[This] exacerbated the scale of the disaster.”
The medical organisation – which tracks the country’s ongoing war – also urged authorities to increase the deployment of rescue teams and equipment to help accelerate the search efforts.
The group said authorities should: “Take immediate measures to ensure river transport safety and prevent the recurrence of such disasters that claim innocent lives.”
Traditional boat accidents are a common occurrence in Sudan, as they are frequently used to carry people across the Nile.
The boats are used due to the limited number of bridges connecting its two banks, especially in village and rural areas.
The country’s civil defence authorities have warned of the danger and risk of travelling in the wooden boats, especially during flood seasons, in an attempt to prevent drowning accidents.
Similar incidents have caused significant loss of life in Sudan in recent years.