Nearly 200 Drown Off Sudan After Boat Fire

Nearly 200 people have drowned after a boat shipping illegal immigrants from Sudan to Saudi Arabia burst into flames four hours out to sea, according to local reports.

A semi-official news agency quoted an official as saying that 197 people died.

He said it happened: "Inside Sudanese territorial waters, following the burning of a boat that was illegally transporting (people) to Saudi Arabia."

Initial reports said only three people from the boat had been rescued but the search for more survivors was continuing.

The boat was discovered 93 miles (150km) south of Port Sudan, near the border with Eritrea.

Four Yemenis, who allegedly owned the Cuban-flagged boat, have been arrested.

Another boat carrying 247 migrants, mostly from Somalia, Eritrea, Chad, and Nigeria, was also apparently captured travelling through the same area.

There have been several other incidents of people drowning off the coast of Sudan in recent years.

Thousands of Africans - especially Eritreans and Ethiopians - frequently travel dangerous routes to escape conflicts in their own countries.