ISLAMABAD (AP) — At least 20 people were killed Saturday morning when a boat sank while crossing a river in eastern Afghanistan, a Taliban official said.
Quraishi Badlon, provincial director of the information and culture department in Nangarhar province, said the boat sank while crossing a river in Mohmand Dara district, killing 20 people, including women and children.
Badlon said the boat was carrying 25 people, five of whom survived, according to villagers.
Five bodies have been recovered so far, including a man, a woman, two boys and a girl, the Nangarhar health department said in a statement. It added that a medical team and ambulances were sent to the area.
Officials did not provide details about the cause of the accident and said rescuers were still searching for other bodies.
Residents of the area often use locally made boats to travel between villages and local markets.
