Two children die after ferry sinks in Deir ez-Zor
DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian Civil Defense on Sunday said that two children drowned after a ferry carrying more than 35 passengers, including women and children, sank in the Euphrates River after colliding with a temporary floating military bridge in Deir ez-Zor Governorate, eastern Syria.
In a statement posted on its Telegram channel, the Civil Defense said its rescue teams responded after the ferry suffered a mechanical failure and was swept away by the river’s current before crashing into the newly installed floating bridge.
Rescue teams rescued 15 people and continue search operations for people still missing in the Euphrates, the agency added.
Obeida Abdul Razzaq, director of Deir ez-Zor National Hospital, told Syria’s state-run news agency SANA that the bodies of two children and several injured passengers had been brought to the hospital, adding that those injured were in stable condition.
Another medical source told SANA that the victims were siblings—a three-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy. Hospital staff provided medical treatment to five men, three women, and two children injured in the accident.
Residents of Deir ez-Zor continue to face significant transportation challenges between the two banks of the Euphrates after several bridges were damaged or rendered inoperable during years of conflict. As a result, many communities rely on river ferries to transport passengers and goods despite the safety risks associated with their use.