Mosul, March 21 -- A ferry packed with families celebrating Kurdish New Year sank in a swollen river in the former jihadist stronghold of Mosul Thursday, leaving more than 70 people dead in Iraq's worst accident in years.

The accident sparked an outpouring of grief among residents who only recently resumed festivities on the banks of the Tigris after the northern city's recapture from the Islamic State group.

The vessel was packed with men, women and children crossing the Tigris to go to a popular picnic area.

"It's a disaster, no one expected that," said a young man who had just managed to reached the shore.

"There were a lot of people on the boat, especially women and children," he told AFP.

Seventy-one people died including 19 chi...