More Than 160 Dead In Tanzania Ship Sinking

An overcrowded ship has sunk in deep sea off mainland Tanzania, leaving more than 160 people dead and many others missing.

Mohammed Aboud, Zanzibar's state minister for emergencies, said "We have recovered 163 people who have died and we have rescued 325 survivors," dramatically updating an earlier death toll.

The ferry, "M.V. Spice Islanders," which was carrying at least 600 people total, was heavily overloaded when it left the mainland port of Dar es Salaam.

The ship's destination, the green and hilly island of Pemba, near Zanzibar, is often described as one of the best scuba diving destinations in the world.

compiled from agency reports