Tanzanian police carry bodies of children from the sea in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Saturday Sept 10, 2011 office.
The death toll continues to climb as rescuers pull bodies from the ship’s wreckage off the coast of Tanzania in eastern Africa.
At least 192 bodies have been recovered from the Indian Ocean and 606 passengers were safely rescued, according to a Tanzanian police spokesman. The ship capsized around 1 a.m. while many were sleeping. The boat was midway through a 25-mile journey, dangerously overloaded with passengers and cargo.
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The ferry known as the M.V. Spice Islanders was dangerously overloaded as it departed Zanzibar for Pemba Island, a popular Tanzanian tourist destination. Pemba Island boasts some of the best scuba diving in the world. The ship was licensed to carry 600 people, but some reports say there may have been up to 1000 people aboard.
On Zanzibar, thousands mobbed Stone Beach to gawk at rescuers bringing victims ashore and mourn for those lost. Family members of those aboard thronged the beach to see if their loved ones would emerge from the water dead or alive. To stay afloat, some survivors clung to mattresses and fridges that had fallen from the ship.
Those that made it ashore safely said there were safety concerns even before the boat left port. Witnesses tell Reuters the boat was “leaning to one side,” with a few passengers choosing to disembark before the ship left. The ship was carrying hundreds of people returning from Ramadan break.
Nick Carbone is a reporter at TIME. Find him on Twitter at @nickcarbone. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.
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