DEIR AL-ZOUR, Syria, July 12 (Xinhua) -- At least three children were killed and an unknown number of people remained missing after a passenger ferry capsized in the Euphrates River in Syria's eastern province of Deir al-Zour on Sunday, local authorities said.
The ferry overturned shortly after striking a military bridge near the al-Huweiqa neighborhood while carrying passengers from the western bank of the river to villages on the eastern side, according to the authorities.
Rescue teams recovered the bodies of two children and rescued more than 13 people following the accident, Zain al-Aboud, director of Emergency and Disaster Management in Deir al-Zour, told Xinhua. The body of a third child was later found by local residents about 20 km downstream near the village of al-Tabiya.
Al-Aboud said the exact number of passengers on board had yet to be determined and search operations were continuing for those missing. ■
