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Sudan boat accident: 24 schoolchildren die near River Nile | |
(35 minutes later) | |
At least 24 children on their way to school and a health worker have drowned when their boat sank in northern Sudan. | |
More than 40 children were on the boat, whose engine failed in a strong current as it crossed a 2.5km (1.6m) flooded area near the River Nile. | More than 40 children were on the boat, whose engine failed in a strong current as it crossed a 2.5km (1.6m) flooded area near the River Nile. |
The children, who were between the ages of seven and 16, began to panic, leaned to one side and the boat overturned, the school's headmaster told the BBC. | The children, who were between the ages of seven and 16, began to panic, leaned to one side and the boat overturned, the school's headmaster told the BBC. |
Only two bodies have been found. | |
Ab el-Khayr Adam Yunis, the headmaster of the Kenba High School, said the pupils usually go to school on foot, but have been using a boat for the past week due to flooding after heavy rain. | Ab el-Khayr Adam Yunis, the headmaster of the Kenba High School, said the pupils usually go to school on foot, but have been using a boat for the past week due to flooding after heavy rain. |
"Those who died were mostly girls," he told the BBC's Focus on Africa radio programme. | "Those who died were mostly girls," he told the BBC's Focus on Africa radio programme. |
"One family lost five daughters, and another three families lost two children each, and two families lost three children each." | "One family lost five daughters, and another three families lost two children each, and two families lost three children each." |
The telephone network was down due to the rains, making it difficult for the headmaster to report the accident. | The telephone network was down due to the rains, making it difficult for the headmaster to report the accident. |
As soon as the phones started working, they contacted all the big towns nearby - Abu Hamad, Karima and Ed-Damer - but were still waiting for help after five hours, he said. | As soon as the phones started working, they contacted all the big towns nearby - Abu Hamad, Karima and Ed-Damer - but were still waiting for help after five hours, he said. |
The area's residents are mostly from the Manaseer tribe. They have long raised concerns about the flooding of their land due to the construction of a controversial dam, BBC's Mohanad Hashim reports. | |
Sudan's annual rainy season lasts from June until late October. |