The ferryboat was reportedly carrying 170 passengers when it sank near Mosul, the regional capital of Iraq’s northern Neinawa province.

According to local officials, rescue teams have so far managed to pull at least 12 survivors from the river.

Victims’ bodies are reportedly being sent to medical facilities in Mosul for forensic analysis.

The Iraqi authorities, for their part, have yet to issue any official statements on the incident.

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.

Reporter’s code: 50101