The death toll has continued to rise in the ferry sinking yesterday in Iraq. Less than a half hour ago, Hamdi Alkhshali, Nada Altaher and Tamara Qiblawi (CNN) updated the death toll to 92 and they note, "Among the victims were at least 12 children, according to health ministry spokesman Saif al-Badr. Of the nearly 150 people who were on board, about 60 are missing, said Mosul Mayor Zuhair al-Araji."
REUTERS reveals that the pleasure cruise turned deadly was supposed to take the passengers on board "to a man-made island used as a recreational area by families" and quotes Mosul's Civil Defense Authority Husam Khalil stating the boat "can normally carry 50 people. There were 250 on board before the incident."
- So according to the safety guidelines, those ferries cud actually hold up to 50 persons not over 100! Welcome to Iraq, where money matters more than human lives
#MosulFerryTragedy
NPR's Sasha Ingber explains:
The flat-bottomed boat, which operates from a platform at an amusement park in the once Islamic State-controlled city of Mosul, capsized, throwing hundreds of passengers in the river near the shore. Many people couldn't swim.
Mosul Mayor Zuhair Araji said the vessel had "reached its capacity," causing it to succumb, according to Kurdistan24.
The mayor says he had warned the owners last week that the boat needed repairs.
The vessel did not appear to have life vests on board, according to authorities.
And the water level had also reportedly risen in recent days from rains, snow melting off nearby mountains and developments at the Mosul dam. Authorities had alerted people to be cautious.
Farid Abdulwahed and Qassim Abdul-Zahra (AP) add, "An Interior Ministry official said 94 people were killed in the accident, which residents said was the worst in recent memory. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations."
- Arwa Damon Retweeted#Iraqi s lighting candles on Tigris river in #Baghdad and all across Iraq in solidarity with the ferry victims. #solidarity
The Russian government issued the following:
Condolences to President of Iraq Barham Salih
Vladimir Putin conveyed
his condolences to the President of the Republic of Iraq Barham Salih over
a ferry crash and the loss of human life.
He'll need more than just condolences. ASHARQ AL-AWSAT reports that Salih visited Mosul today forllowing Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi's visit -- Mahdi "ordered an investigation . . . [and] declared three days of national mourning." What they don't report is how the photo op went bad. The ceremonial president of Iraq expected applause and got protests.
- Iraqi President Barham Salih attempts to calm angry #Mosul protestors following capsized ferry incident http://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/220320191 …
The Iraqi people are still waiting for a government that makes them a priority. Their anger is both justified and understandable.
In the US, a presidential election will take place in 2020. Currently, there are six women vying for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. This is a record. Here they are with their three most recent Tweets (we are not counting pinned Tweets).
- I had the best time showing @desusnice and @THEKIDMERO around Troy, NY and definitely beating them at bowling. Watch @SHODesusAndMero on #SHOWTIME tonight!
.@RepStephenLynch is right: @WellsFargo cheated its customers & broke the law. CEO Tim Sloan should be fired – but instead he got a $1 million raise last year. It's obscene. The only way we're ever going to stop these scandals is to hold executives personally accountable.
Non-compete agreements rig the system against workers. They reduce bargaining power, stifle competition, and hurt workers striving for better opportunities. I'm joining @SenBlumenthal to urge the @FTC to crack down on these harmful contracts.
When I heard reports that @ActingSecDef Patrick Shanahan may have worked to promote his former employer @Boeing, I took action and investigated. Government officials should work for the people – not big defense contractors.
The following sites updated:
