At least 21 people drowned when a boat capsized on the Nile River in northern Sudan, authorities and witnesses said Thursday.
Officials in River Nile State said 21 bodies were recovered after the vessel sank mid-crossing between two rural villages.
The boat was travelling between Tayba al-Khawad and Deim al-Qarai when it went down in murky waters.
Authorities listed the victims’ names and warned that several passengers remain missing as search efforts continue.
The local government did not disclose the cause of the accident or whether safety measures were in place.
Eyewitnesses told AFP the small vessel was carrying about 30 people at the time of the disaster.
The Sudanese Doctors Network said six passengers survived, describing the tragedy as both preventable and predictable.
In a statement, the group criticised the “fragility of river transport” and the absence of basic safety standards.
It also condemned what it called the lack of immediate response from local authorities and civil defence rescue teams.
For many Sudanese communities, single-engine boats operated by lone captains remain a vital link across the Nile.
Years of conflict have eroded infrastructure, leaving transport routes perilous and public services dangerously thin.
Since war erupted nearly three years ago between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, roads have closed and institutions have withered.
Medical and educational systems have deteriorated sharply, compounding daily risks for civilians already battered by conflict.
On the Nile’s broad currents, that vulnerability turned fatal, as another journey ended in loss and unanswered questions.
