Iraq Orders ex-Governor Arrested after Ferry Sinking
Iraq has issued a warrant for the arrest of the former governor of Nineveh on corruption charges after at least 90 people were killed in a ferry accident in the provincial capital Mosul, two court officials said on Wednesday.The warrant also included the arrest of some local officials after a court investigation concluded they colluded with the former governor in misusing their powers and committed financial violations, a Mosul court judge said.A member of parliament has tweeted a copy of the arrest warrant.Responding to a formal request by Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, Iraq's parliament voted on Sunday to sack Governor Nawfal Hammadi al-Sultan after the overloaded ferry capsized in the Tigris river last week.Abdul Mahdi's letter to parliament accused Sultan of negligence…
Ferry Capsizes in Mosul, 80 Feared Dead
At least 79 people died when an overloaded ferry carrying families on an outing sank in the Tigris river in Mosul in northern Iraq, medical sources told Reuters on Thursday.Most of the casualties on the ferry were women and children who could not swim, said the head of Mosul's Civil Defence Authority Husam Khalil.He said the ferry had been loaded to several times its capacity. "It can normally carry 50 people. There were 250 on board before the incident," he said.Five ferry workers were arrested after late on Thursday, security sources said. Rescue workers were still looking for missing passengers.The boat was ferrying people to a man-made island used as a recreational area by families…
Ferry Sinks on Tigris River, 40 Dead
At least 40 people died when an overloaded ferry sank in the Tigris river near Mosul in Iraq, police and medical sources told Reuters on Thursday.Most of the casualties on the ferry were women and children who could not swim, said the head of Mosul's Civil Defence Authority, Husam Khalil.The rescue team is still retrieving survivors and has rescued 12 people so far, Khalil added. (Reuters reporting by Jamal Al-Badrani Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
Mud Cat Dredges Operating in Iraq
Multiple amphibious, multifunction dredges from Mud Cat are operating in Iraq to clean various dams and barrages that are positioned along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Iraq’s Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) purchased the MFDs to remove accumulated silt, sand and vegetation at each dam’s basin. By performing regular dam maintenance, Iraq’s MWR can maintain the designed water levels at the dams to prevent structural components from being compromised. Originating in eastern Turkey, the Tigris River measures approximately 1,150 miles long through Iraq and flows in a southeasterly direction.
