At least 57 people, mainly foreigners, drowned when their dinner cruise boat capsized off the coast of Bahrain, officials said on Friday. The boat's owner, quoted by Al Arabiya television, said the traditional wooden dhow may have been overcrowded and capsized when passengers gathered on one side. Arab media reports said the captain had been reluctant to sail with so many on board the twin-decked boat.The vessel went down late on Thursday. By daylight, only the upturned hull of the dhow was visible, with empty orange life-jackets bobbing alongside. Some 13 passengers were still missing and Bahrain TV showed pictures of rescue workers using pickaxes to try to break through the bottom of the vessel. Rescuers pulled 67 terrified survivors from the water as the rescue operation went through the night, helped by the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet which is based in the Gulf Arab state. More than 30 people were taken to hospital, many shivering and wrapped in blankets.
Aqeel Mirza said he was about 100 metres (yards) away on a nearby boat when he saw the ship capsize. "The sea was calm, there were no heavy winds or waves," he told Arabiya. "Suddenly, in that instant that we were watching it, the boat overturned very quickly. It just overturned on one side in seconds, and two seconds later the lights went out and then we started hearing the screaming." Mirza added it took more than 25 minutes for rescue boats to arrive at the scene. "Most of who died were inside the enclosed restaurant. Those who were on the top deck found it easier to survive because they jumped off the boat and waited for rescue," he said.