Death of two children and loss of others after a ferry sank in the Euphrates River in Deir ez-Zor

Field sources in Syria reported a tragic sinking incident in the city of Deir ez-Zor, after a water ferry carrying dozens of civilians collided with the floating military bridge. The violent collision caused all those on board the ferry to fall into the waters of the Euphrates River, amidst a state of panic and urgent rescue attempts by residents and competent authorities.

According to preliminary information issued by civil defense teams, the accident resulted in the drowning death of two children in a non-final toll, while rescue teams managed to recover and rescue more than 15 civilians who were struggling to survive. Search operations are still ongoing in the riverbed to find the rest of the passengers who disappeared after the ferry sank.

Sources explained that the ferry was carrying more than 35 people at the time of the accident in the early hours of Sunday morning. The direct collision with the iron structure of the military bridge caused the ferry to capsize quickly, making survival difficult, especially in conditions of poor lighting and river currents.

Water rescue teams and volunteers in the area are combing the banks of the Euphrates River in search of potential survivors or the bodies of the missing, amidst calls to tighten safety procedures on water transport means that connect the two banks of the river. These ferries are a vital means of transport for local residents in light of the damage to infrastructure and fixed bridges in the region.

It is worth noting that the city of Deir ez-Zor relies heavily on floating bridges and water ferries to move between its neighborhoods divided by the river. Warnings have recently been repeated about the danger of these primitive means, especially in the absence of regular maintenance and the overcrowding of ferries with numbers exceeding their capacity for passengers and goods.

Two children died in an initial toll, and more than 15 civilians who were on board the ferry that collided with the military bridge were rescued.