Ferry disaster reveals challenges for Iraq in Mosul
As the death toll of the sunken ferry hits 120, protests against corruption might lead to a backlash in Mosul, and the Iraqi parliament has voted to dismiss Ninevah province's governor.
On March 21, thousands of Mosul residents flocked to Um El-Rabe'ayn Island, a touristic area about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) north of the city center, to celebrate Nowruz, Mother's Day and spring, unaware that the festival would turn into another rendezvous with death in this war-torn city.
Amid a festive atmosphere, an overcrowded ferry capsized in the Tigris River, close to its bank, killing more than 120 people, mostly women and children, while dozens are still missing after the victims were swept away by the strong river currents.
"We were longing for few moments of joy, but death insists on not leaving us alone," said Aya Nawfal, a Mosul University arts student and a survivor of the disaster. "I remembered Jonah's prayer while in the whale's belly. I was ready to face death when someone rescued me," she added. "My scream was like a world-shaking birth cry."
Fifteen of Nawfal's family members lost their lives in the catastrophe.
