THE owners of a pleasure boat, which capsized off the coast of Bahrain killing 57 people, last night suggested that overcrowding may have caused the disaster.

At least 57 people, including 1 Irish man, 13 Britons and 17 Indian nationals, drowned when a dinner-cruise ship with 137 people on board capsized just off the Bahraini coast last night in calm waters, the Interior Ministry said.

An Irishman has been confirmed as being among the 57 people who drowned when a cruise ship capsized off the Bahraini coast last night.