Passenger Ferry Capsizes in Sudan’s White Nile State

(MENAFN) A passenger ferry carrying 16 people overturned Saturday in Sudan’s White Nile state, with four passengers rescued and search operations ongoing for the remaining individuals, according to local health and rescue sources.

The vessel reportedly sank in the Wad al-Zaki area, carrying women among the passengers. Rescue teams continue efforts to locate the others on board.

Authorities were urged by the Sudan Doctors Network to review the safety of all riverboats and ferries, strictly enforce safety regulations, establish clear load limits, and ensure rescue equipment is available to prevent further accidents.

This incident follows a recent tragedy in northern Sudan, where at least 21 people died when a passenger ferry with more than 27 people capsized in the Nile River. The Nile River state government reported that 21 bodies had been recovered after the vessel sank on Wednesday, with search operations continuing for others still missing.

Local media said the ferry was traveling between Taiba Al-Khawad and Deim Al-Qarray in the Shendi locality, carrying women, children, and elderly passengers when it overturned. The Sudan Doctors Network highlighted that the incident exposed the dangers of river transport, inadequate safety measures, and the lack of local authority and civil defense presence in the early hours, “which exacerbated the scale of the disaster.”

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