ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Two siblings drowned in an initial toll for a crush of a makeshift ferry crossing the Euphrates River in the eastern province of Deir ez-Zor, Syrian civil defense authorities announced on Sunday.
Civil defense teams have so far rescued 15 persons out of 35 on deck, the Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, said on X.
“Everyone on board fell into the river waters,” their statement read, while underscoring the continuation of “search and rescue operations for the missing at the accident site” in cooperation with the defense ministry and local residents.
Cited by the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Deir ez-Zor’s main hospital confirmed receiving the bodies of two children, saying that one was three and the other 13 years old. It also pointed to giving medical care to 12 survivors, including two children.
Left without power, the ferry was caught by the river's strong current and drifted downstream, violently colliding with a military pontoon bridge locally called the ‘war bridge’. The impact caused the ferry to capsize and sink, throwing everyone on board into the water.
The residents of Deir ez-Zor face severe difficulties traveling between the two banks of the Euphrates River due to the damage and decommissioning of several bridges, SANA reported.
The accident happened against the backdrop of dangerous river conditions. In the months leading up to July, the Euphrates River experienced a significant rise in water levels, triggering localized flooding across Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa.
The swelling of the river, caused by the sudden release of water from upstream Turkey, has placed massive pressure on regional infrastructure. Rising waters have damaged or completely cut off several primary bridges and river crossings in the area.
