Passenger ferry capsizes on the Nile River in Sudan, leaving at least 15 people dead

CAIRO — A passenger ferry capsized on the Nile River in Sudan on Wednesday, leaving at least 15 people dead, a medical group said.

The ferry, with at least 27 people on board, including women and children, sank in the Shendi district in northern Nile River province, said the Sudan Doctors Network, a medial group that tracks the country’s ongoing war.

The group said at least 15 bodies have been recovered, while residents and rescue teams were still searching for at least six other people. Six people survived the tragedy, it said.

The group urged authorities to deploy specialized rescue teams and equipment to accelerate search efforts.

Such tragedies on overloaded boats are not uncommon on waterways in the African nation, where safety measures are often disregarded.