57 Confirmed Dead as Excursion Boat Sinks off Bahrain

At least 57 people died when a ship on a pleasure cruise suddenly capsized off of Bahrain last night, March 30. Although the ship, an Arab dhow carrying some 150 passengers and crew, went down in calm waters near the harbor, authorities have said there is no evidence of terrorism as the cause of the tragedy.

According to news reports from the BBC and other sources, at least 63 people were rescued, leaving more than 30 still unaccounted for. Local residents and a number of foreign nationals were aboard the craft.

The Bahrain Coastguard reached the scene shortly after the ship capsized. American divers and naval personnel from the U.S. 5th fleet are helping with rescue efforts. So far 57 bodies have been recovered, while the search for more victims continues.

Several reports indicated that the dhow appeared to be heavily loaded when it left the dock on a scheduled dinner cruise. It suddenly listed sharply and capsized shortly afterwards.