A boat carrying 16 Sudanese citizens sank today Saturday in the Wad al-Zaki area of White Nile State, leaving 12 people missing. Local teams of residents and police have commenced search operations at the site of the accident.
Activists on social media circulated photos and videos showing small boats spreading across the river to comb the area, with extensive participation from volunteers in rescue efforts. Meanwhile, dozens of residents gathered along the banks of the Nile to follow the search operations.
According to local accounts, all passengers on the ill-fated boat are from the village of Wad al-Jatrah. The accident occurred under circumstances that have not yet been clarified.
Today’s incident follows the sinking of a ferry in River Nile State in northern Sudan last Wednesday. According to local authorities, that incident resulted in the deaths of 21 people whose bodies were recovered. However, estimates from the “Sudanese Doctors Network” suggest the death toll exceeded 27 people including women, children, and the elderly in the Taiba al-Khawad area of Shendi locality, where the ferry was carrying approximately 30 passengers.
