Ibrahim Assim volunteered with the Iraqi Red Crescent, part of ten rescue teams searching for victims of Thursday’s sinking.
“Today a boy from our team went down and pulled out three people,” Assim recounted. Though the boy was exhausted after two days of rescue efforts, he did not stop.
“He was very tired but he later saw a woman and went to rescue her, but he died,” Assim said.
The official death toll from the Ministry of Health has risen to 96, mainly women and children. In boats slowly patrolling the river, rescue teams say the number of dead is much higher – as many as 105 dead and still 35-40 missing.
“Seventy-five to eighty people have been rescued,” said rescuer Mohammed Salih. Their boat, however, is not able to pass under a low bridge, “so we have failed to collect bodies that have passed under this bridge,” he explained.
The Tigris River is swollen after days of heavy rains. Authorities had issued a warning about the high water before the tragedy occurred. The high and fast waters are also making rescue and recovery efforts difficult.
Iraqi President Barham Salih and Nineveh Governor Nawfal Hamadi visited the site on Friday where they were greeted by protesters condemning corruption.
Salih showed his solidarity with the angry crowd, holding up an anti-corruption sign. After speaking to a few people, his security team escorted him away as people chanted a common slogan: ‘All you embezzlers will be uprooted.’
The governor, who is unpopular in the city, was lambasted by the crowd. He was prevented from exiting his car and allegedly hit a number of protesters when he tried to drive away from the scene.
“This is our governor. He beats his people. He runs over them. Let all people see this,” said a many, showing a scrape on his forearm.
Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi has formed a crisis cell to investigate the incident. The governor is not a member of the committee that includes other provincial officials.
