19 people reported dead in Ethiopia boat accident
By Abdirahman Khalif |
AMC reported that only two bodies have been recovered so far. The survivors were taken to nearby hospitals for medical treatment.
At least 19 people are dead in Ethiopia after a boat capsized on a river in the country's northwest, a state-run media outlet said on Sunday.
Seven individuals, including a child, were rescued under challenging conditions, according to a local administrator cited by Amhara Media Corporation (AMC) on Sunday.
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The boat was ferrying passengers across the Tekeze River, which runs along Ethiopia's border with Eritrea and flows into Sudan, where the three countries converge.
Authorities estimated that there were 26 people on the boat at the time of the accident, which occurred around noon local time (0900 GMT).
AMC reported that only two bodies have been recovered so far. The survivors were taken to nearby hospitals for medical treatment.
Access to information in remote northern Ethiopia is heavily restricted by the authorities, leading to delays in the flow of information from the area.
The Amhara region, Ethiopia's second most populous, has been experiencing ongoing clashes between the Ethiopian military and an ethnic Amhara militia known as Fano.
The region also saw involvement in the conflict in the neighbouring Tigray region, with its forces fighting alongside federal government troops against Tigrayan rebels.
This boat accident marks the second major incident in Ethiopia in recent days. Earlier in the week, a landslide in the southern part of the country claimed the lives of over 250 people.
The deadly landslide occurred last Monday morning around 10 am local time (0700 GMT) in southern Ethiopia's Geze Gofa district, state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporation reported.
Misikir Mitiku, the chief administrator of the district, stated that more than 55 bodies, including women and children, have been found in the district, adding that the death toll could increase as rescue efforts continue.
Ethiopia is in the midst of a rainy season, which started in July and is expected to last until mid-September.
Constant rains occasionally cause landslides in some parts of the East African country.
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