Nearly 150 people were on board, including over 80 women and children, according to health ministry spokesman Saif al-Badr.
The ferry was transporting people from a bank of the river to a small tourist island. It capsized halfway because of high water levels in the river, according to Nineveh mayor, Abd al-Sattar Habu.
Rescue teams were able to recover a number of bodies from the river, and search operations are still ongoing, he said.
"The Department of Water Resources warned a few days ago that the level of water will rise as a result of the opening of dams," Habu added.
The ferry was loaded with over twice the permitted capacity, Civil Defense General Manager Brigadier Malik Bohan told state-owned Al Iraqiya.
More to follow.
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