Cruise ship carrying 150 tourists sinks

A PASSENGER boat carrying some 150 tourists, including Westerners, sank off the coast of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf last night and residents said more than 40 bodies were found.

The official Bahrain News Agency (BNA) said the ferry was on an evening cruise that was to last several hours. It overturned less than a mile off the coast, it said.

The passengers were thought to be Bahrainis, other Gulf Arab nationals and Westerners. Interior Ministry spokesman Major Mohammed Ben Dayna said those rescued included foreign tourists and expatriate workers living in Bahrain.