At Least 40 Dead As Overloaded Ferry Sinks In Tigris Near Mosul, Iraq

An Iraqi official says a ferry overloaded with people celebrating the Kurdish new year sank in the Tigris river near Mosul, killing at least 40 people.

Col Hussam Khalil, head of the Civil Defense in the Nineveh province, told The Associated Press that the accident occurred on Thursday as scores of people were out in the tourist area celebrating Nowruz, which marks the Kurdish new year and the arrival of spring.

Khalil says many of the dead were women and children, adding that search operations are still underway.

AP