At least 57 killed as cruise boat sinks

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.

Up to 63 passengers were rescued from the boat, whose owners said it may have turned over because of the numbers onboard - at least 120.

Abdullan al-Qubaisi, of the Al-Dana company that owns the boat, reportedly told state television: "It has a capacity of 200 but it is allowed to carry only 100 passengers. They loaded the boat with more than its capacity. The captain refused to sail but they forced him to leave."