Children among 20 dead in boat accident in Nangarhar, Afghanistan | News

At least 20 people, including children, drowned when a boat sank during a river crossing in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, local authorities said.

Quraishi Badloon, head of Nangarhar province’s information department, said in a post on X that the vessel capsized at 7 a.m. (02:30 GMT) on Saturday “in the river in the Basawul area of ​​Momand Dara district.”

He added that according to villagers, there were 25 people on board the boat, five of whom survived.

The cause of the accident is being investigated.

The Nangarhar Health Department said in a statement that five bodies had been recovered so far, including a man, a woman, two boys and a girl.

Efforts are still being made to locate more people while a medical team and ambulances are being sent to the area, it said.

According to Afghan media, residents in the area often use locally made boats to commute between villages and local markets as there is no bridge.

Hundreds of people have died in Afghanistan in recent weeks as heavy rains caused massive flooding in various parts of the country.