Officials say many of the dead in Iraq ferry accident were women and children who couldn't swim
Officials say the accident occurred as scores of people were out in the tourist area celebrating Nowruz, the Persian new year.
At least 71 people died and many others went missing when an overloaded ferry sank in the Tigris River near Mosul in Iraq, police said on Thursday. Most of the casualties on the ferry were women and children who could not swim, said the head of Mosul's Civil Defence Authority, Col Huasam Khalil.Khalil told The Associated Press the accident occurred as scores of people were out in the tourist area celebrating Nowruz.
Nowruz, or the Persian new year, dates back to 1700 BC and incorporates Zoroastrian traditions. It is celebrated across territories that once made up the ancient Persian empire, stretching from the Middle East to Central Asia.He said the ferry sank because of a technical problem, and that there weren't many boats in the area to rescue people.The river's level was high because of a rainy season that brought more precipitation than previous years.
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