The owners of the ferryboat that capsized in Mosul murdering 100 people were arrested along with engineers who had certified the vessel, Iraq's judiciary announced on Sunday, March 31.
The ferry was packed with many families from the northern city crossing the River Tigris in order to celebrate the Kurds' Nowruz New Year holiday.
Unfortunately, most of the victims of the accident on March 21, Iraqi Mother's Day, were children and women. The strong current washed bodies miles downstream, and dozens are still missing.
The tragedy came after the authorities had warned that water levels were dangerously high, and sparked severe anger among Iraqis who blamed official neglect and corruption.
The judiciary didn't name the owners who were arrested but revealed they were caught in the country's Kurdish autonomous region. Their cases were transferred to a panel of 3 judges and a prosecutor.
The Iraqi parliament fired the governor of Nineveh province, of which Mosul is the major city, who has gone on the run.