Pakistan condoles with Iraq over loss of lives in ferry incident

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office of Pakistan on Friday said it was deeply saddened and grieved on the loss of nearly 80 lives in the ferry incident in Iraq.

“Government and people of Pakistan are deeply saddened and grieved on the tragic loss of precious lives, including women and children, in unfortunate capsizing of a ferry near Mosul, on the beginning of Nourooz celebrations,” Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal said on Twitter.

Government and people of Pakistan are deeply saddened and grieved on the tragic loss of precious lives, including women and children, in unfortunate capsizing of a ferry near Mosul, on the beginning of Nourooz celebrations. 1/2

— Dr Mohammad Faisal (@DrMFaisal) March 22, 2019

He added, “We join bereaved families, people and government of Iraq in this hour of sorrow and grief. Our prayers are with them. May Almighty Allah bless the departed souls with highest places in Jannah and grant strength and fortitude to their families to bear this irreparable loss.”

We join bereaved families, people and government of Iraq in this hour of sorrow and grief. Our prayers are with them.
May Almighty Allah bless the departed souls with highest places in Jannah and grant strength and fortitude to their families to bear this irreparable loss. 2/2

— Dr Mohammad Faisal (@DrMFaisal) March 22, 2019

Reuters reported at least 79 people died when an overloaded ferry carrying families on an outing sank in the Tigris river in Mosul in northern Iraq on Thursday.

Most of the casualties on the ferry were women and children who could not swim, said the head of Mosul’s Civil Defence Authority Husam Khalil.

He said the ferry had been loaded to several times its capacity. “It can normally carry 50 people. There were 250 on board before the incident,” he said.

Five ferry workers were arrested after late on Thursday, security sources said. Rescue workers were still looking for missing passengers.

The boat was ferrying people to a man-made island used as a recreational area by families, according to one witness.