Overloaded Iraqi raft sinks killing dozens

Families dumped into Tigris River when cable snaps

A raft overloaded with people dressed in their holiday best to celebrate the Kurdish New Year sank in the Tigris River on Thursday, drowning at least 94 men, women and children, Iraqi security and health officials said.

Families in Mosul had thronged onto the raft to take them to an island with a picnic ground and a small amusement park. As they crossed the Tigris, one of the metal cables pulling the raft snapped, and the raft capsized, dumping almost everyone into the water, according to eyewitness accounts.

The water, high and swift because of the spring rains, swept them downstream in a matter of seconds. Videos taken by those on shore show passengers’ heads bobbing briefly above the water.

People on shore rushed to help, said Mosul’s mayor, Zuhair al-araji.

“The Civil Defense force tried to save everyone they could in cooperation with the aquatic security forces and with fishermen and volunteers,” he said.

Iraq’s prime minister, Adil Abdul Mehdi, declared three days of mourning and flew to Mosul to pay respects to those who had lost family members.

Most of the dead were women and children.

At least 41 people were rescued, said Saif Al-badir, a doctor and the spokesman for the Ministry of Health. However, those numbers could change as more bodies are found or more survivors inform authorities they are alive.

Mari Mohammed, 25, an English student at Mosul University, was among those who rushed to help. He had taken the vessel to the island earlier in the day to celebrate the Kurdish New Year with a friend.

In midafternoon, they heard people cry out and they rushed to the small beach. In an instant, they grabbed a small motorboat owned by the amusement park and headed into the river.

“I don’t swim very well and I had not swum in a long time so I was afraid,” said Mohammed, recalling how he felt as their small craft pushed off.

The first person they helped was a man, then farther out in the river was a young girl. “We pulled her out of the water,” Mohammed said, but she was very cold and feeling sick from swallowing “all the dirty things from the river.”