Over 20 feared dead in Afghanistan river ferry tragedy

AP reports that at least 20 people were killed after a ferry sank in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar on Saturday, June 1.

The unnamed vessel was transiting a river in the Mohmand Dara district of Nangarhar with 25 people on board when it sank on the morning (local time) of Saturday.

Rescuers have since found only five survivors and the bodies of five deceased victims from the surrounding waters. A health official said the recovered bodies include those of three small children.

Rescuers are continuing to search for the 15 other people who were on the boat, though an official of the country's Taliban government believes the missing individuals may also already be deceased.

Officials have not yet provided additional details on what may have led to the tragedy. However, Afghan state media outlet Bakhtar published a video message by one official that said the ferry's engine had overheated and caught fire and the vessel sank shortly afterwards.