At least 20 people died in the sinking of boat in a river in eastern Afghanistan this morning, the ruling Taliban said, as cited by the Associated Press and BTA.
Quraishi Badlon, director of the information and culture department in Nangarhar province, said the boat sank while crossing a river in Mohmand Dara district. Among the victims are women and children.
Badlon pointed out that according to local residents there were 25 people on board the vessel, five of whom survived.
So far, the bodies of five victims, including one man, one woman, two boys and one girl, have been recovered, the Nangarhar provincial health department said in a statement. He added that medical teams and ambulances were sent to the scene of the accident.
Authorities did not provide details on what led to the accident and said rescuers were still searching for the bodies of the remaining victims.
People living in the area often use locally made boats to travel between villages and local markets, AP notes.