ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A joyous celebration of Newroz under sunny skies at a popular recreation spot on the banks of Tigris River in Mosul turned to tragedy when an overcrowded ferry capsized. The death toll has risen to 93, according to Mosul health officials.
Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi arrived in Mosul Thursday evening, where he announced three days of national mourning for the victims.
The people of Mosul, struggling to revive their devastated city after ISIS, are left in shock and angry, asking how such a disaster could have happened.
“This is a big, big tragedy. The people responsible are those in Jazira,” a young man told Rudaw outside the morgue on Thursday evening, referring to the Tigris River island location where the incident occurred.
“Why did the local government give them permission to operate? With these ferries, as long as people pay money, it doesn't matter if it's 100 people, they let everyone onboard,” he added, standing among grieving women repeating verses from the Quran for comfort.
Iraqi media have reported nine arrests in connection with the incident.
As many as 170 to 200 people may have been onboard the ferry.
The Tigris River had swelled after heavy rains and video of the incident showed dozens of people struggling in the fast-moving water next to the overturned boat.
Video: Mosul Eye
Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi arrived in Mosul Thursday evening, where he announced three days of national mourning for the victims.
The people of Mosul, struggling to revive their devastated city after ISIS, are left in shock and angry, asking how such a disaster could have happened.
“This is a big, big tragedy. The people responsible are those in Jazira,” a young man told Rudaw outside the morgue on Thursday evening, referring to the Tigris River island location where the incident occurred.
“Why did the local government give them permission to operate? With these ferries, as long as people pay money, it doesn't matter if it's 100 people, they let everyone onboard,” he added, standing among grieving women repeating verses from the Quran for comfort.
Iraqi media have reported nine arrests in connection with the incident.
As many as 170 to 200 people may have been onboard the ferry.
The Tigris River had swelled after heavy rains and video of the incident showed dozens of people struggling in the fast-moving water next to the overturned boat.
Video: Mosul Eye
The head of Nineveh Civil Defence Col. Hussam Khalil told AP the ferry went down because of a technical problem. A lack of boats able to aid in rescue efforts also contributed to the high death toll, he added.
Civil Defence teams worked to pull survivors and bodies out of the water.
Iraq’s Health Minister Dr. Alaa al-Alwan told Rudaw earlier in the evening that he asked the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)'s Health Ministry to assist and open the doors of their hospitals to the victims.
KRG Health Minister Rekawt Hama Rashid said they are ready to help.
“We’ve sent 10 ambulances from Duhok to Mosul,” he said.
Many of the victims are women and children. Of an earlier death toll of 71, 19 were children and 33 were women, according to official figures. At least 55 people have been rescued.
“The women stayed to help their children, while the men swam for shore,” one man told Rudaw outside the morgue, explaining the casualty figures.
A large crowd gathered outside the morgue Thursday evening where photographs of the victims were pinned to razor wire running atop a wall.
Relatives and friends searched the photographs, snapping pictures with their cellphones. A family claimed the body of a loved one, carefully placing the shrouded body in the back of a truck.
The cry of a woman pierced through the low rumble of the crowd when she recognized one of the victims and the flashing lights of an ambulance announced the arrival of another body pulled from the river.
Iraq’s political leaders have vowed this tragedy will not pass by without consequences and pledged to bring the “negligent” to account.
Foreign diplomats in Iraq have extended their condolences and on Baghdad’s Jadriya bridge, people have lit candles in solidarity with Mosul.
Updated at 9:57 pm
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