Sudan reports sinking of boat on Blue Nile, 23 women drowned

CAIRO (AP) — Sudanese authorities say a boat sank last week on the Blue Nile and at least 23 women are believed to have drowned. The tragedy took place on Friday in southeastern Sennar province. There were 29 people on board the vessel, all of them women except for the captain. He survived along with five passengers. The women were daily laborers working on farms in the Souki region and were returning home when their boat capsized. Thirteen bodies were retrieved, and rescue workers were searching for 10 others. The Blue Nile is an important transport route for people and goods in the African nation. Such accidents on overloaded boats are not uncommon.