A passenger ferry carrying 16 people capsized in Sudan’s White Nile state, leaving four survivors rescued and others still missing, according to medics.
The Sudan Doctors Network said the boat went down in the Wad al-Zaki area, with women among those on board.
Rescue teams were combing the river, battling strong and shifting currents, to determine the fate of the remaining passengers.
The group urged authorities to urgently review river transport safety, calling for strict enforcement of regulations.
It demanded clear passenger limits, mandatory life-saving equipment and tighter oversight to prevent further tragedies.
The incident came just days after another deadly ferry disaster in northern Sudan.
At least 21 people were killed on Wednesday when a boat carrying more than 27 passengers capsized in Nile River state, local officials said.
The state government said 21 bodies had been recovered, with search operations continuing.
Local media reported the vessel was travelling between Taiba Al-Khawad and Deim Al-Qarray in Shendi locality when it overturned.
Women, children and elderly passengers were among those on board.
The Sudan Doctors Network said the back-to-back sinkings exposed deep flaws in the country’s river transport system.
It also criticised what it described as the absence of local authorities and civil defence teams in the crucial early hours.
That delay, the group said, compounded the scale of the tragedy and intensified the anguish of families waiting along the riverbanks.
