Passenger ferry capsizes in Sudan’s White Nile state, 4 rescued

ISTANBUL

A passenger ferry carrying 16 people capsized Saturday in Sudan’s White Nile state, with four survivors rescued and search operations underway for the remaining passengers, the Sudan Doctors Network said.

The group said the boat sank in the Wad al-Zaki area with 16 people aboard, including women. Rescue efforts were continuing to determine the fate of the other passengers, it said.

The Sudan Doctors Network urged authorities to review all riverboats and ferries, enforce safety requirements, set clear load limits and ensure the availability of rescue equipment to prevent further accidents.

The incident comes days after at least 21 people were killed when a passenger ferry carrying more than 27 people capsized in the Nile River in northern Sudan, according to local authorities.

The Nile River state government said Thursday that 21 bodies had been recovered after the boat sank Wednesday, and that search efforts were continuing for those still missing.

Local media reported that the vessel was traveling between Taiba Al-Khawad and Deim Al-Qarray in the Shendi locality when it capsized, carrying women, children and elderly passengers.

At the time, the Sudan Doctors Network said the tragedy underscored the vulnerability of river transport and the lack of basic safety measures, as well as the absence of local authorities and civil defense teams in the initial hours, “which exacerbated the scale of the disaster.”