At least 21 killed as passenger ferry sinks after capsizing on Nile as rescuers frantically hunt for survivors

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.

The ship on Nile River, Khartoum, Sudan

Passenger ferries are commonly used to cross the Nile, due to limited access to bridges (stock image)

The boat on the river Nile.

The ferry was transporting passengers from the village of Tayba Al-Khawad to Deim Al-Qarai

Residents who witnessed the horrific ordeal worked alongside rescue teams to help the afflicted 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 remaining missing.

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The incident was confirmed in a statement from the Sudan Doctors Network on Wednesday evening, which highlighted the dangers of passenger ferries.

“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.

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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.

This tragedy comes after a plane crashed in Somalia just minutes after taking off.

The passenger plane was carrying 55 people when it crashed into the Indian Ocean on Tuesday.

Shocking footage shows the StarSky airline aircraft in the water near the Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu.

Passengers can be seen hopping out of the plane into water on Tuesday in Somalia.

One of the plane’s wings can be seen snapped clean off the body of the aircraft.

The flight had been headed to Guriel – the second largest city on Somalia.

Rescuers were spotted assisting the passengers after arriving at the scene of the wreckage in just minutes.

The flight crashed shortly before take off after having issues gaining altitude due to technical difficulties.