At Least 57 Die as Boat Capsizes Off Bahrain

A tour boat carrying as many as 150 people capsized Thursday night in the Persian Gulf off Bahrain, and at least 57 people were killed, the country’s coast guard chief said.

Coast guard chief Youssef Katem said at least 63 people survived.

Television footage showed survivors, their hair still wet, squatting on the floor of a hospital. Many covered themselves with blankets. One man was shown being treated for cuts to the head.

Some with blood streaming down their faces hugged each other. Several wept as friends and relatives tried to calm them.

A passenger calling from his cellphone had been the first to alert officials that the ship was listing.

Khalil Mirza of Bahrain said the listing began while the craft was making a left turn out of the harbor.

“People were scared in the water,” he said. “They were fighting with each other and screaming.”

The official Bahrain News Agency said the boat Al Dana was on an evening cruise that was to last several hours, but it overturned less than a mile offshore. Television footage showed that the boat had capsized but did not sink, with rescue workers walking on its hull.

U.S. helicopters and divers joined the rescue operation. Bahrain, a tiny island nation on the western side of the Persian Gulf, is host to the Navy’s 5th Fleet.

Rescue teams brought bodies covered with white sheets to shore, and hospital workers hurried them to waiting ambulances. Scores of officials and relatives waited on the dock watching as rescue boats with flashing blue lights brought more bodies and survivors.

Television stations showed what they called a file photo of the tour boat, which appeared to be 60 to 70 feet long with two decks.

There was no indication of what caused the vessel to overturn in what appeared to be ideal weather conditions.

Katem said an investigation was underway. The boat’s owners said overloading could have caused the boat to capsize, according to Bahrain television.

The passengers were thought to be Bahrainis, nationals of other Persian Gulf nations and Westerners.

Bahrain Health Minister Nada Haffadh told Al Arabiya television that survivors who arrived at hospitals included nationals of India, South Africa, Singapore and Britain.

Information Minister Mohammed Abdul Ghafar, interviewed on Al Arabiya television, said the passengers included 25 Britons, 20 Filipinos, 10 South Africans and 10 Egyptians.