KABUL: Local officials said that twenty people, including children drowned when a boat sank during a river crossing in Nangarhar, eastern Afghanistan on Saturday.
A provincial official said that a boat with women and children on board sank on Saturday at 7 am in the river in the Basawul area of Momand Dara district in Nangarhar. It said that five people survived the accident, the cause of which was being probed. Local officials said that rescue and medical teams had sent to the area to assist the victims.
According to the local officials, around five bodies have been recovered and efforts were underway to find the others.
Residents in the area regularly cross the river using boats often in very poor condition, as there is no nearby bridge, local press reported.
