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Egypt migrant boat death toll jumps to 162 as more bodies recovered

The number of people who died when a migrant boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea near Egypt has risen to 162, authorities say.

The boat sank on Wednesday, with officials originally saying 42 people had been killed.

But Egypt's state news agency, MENA, says many more bodies have now been recovered, with the search still ongoing.

The boat capsized nearly 12km (7.5 miles) from the Nile Delta port city of Rosetta.

Many of the dead were women and children who were unable to swim away when the boat sank.

Around 150 migrants are thought to have been rescued. Those on board were described as "illegal" by Egypt's health ministry

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees believes that the boat was packed with 450 people, while MENA has said the number could be as high as 600.

"UNHCR is deeply saddened by the loss of life after yet another boat capsized in the Mediterranean," said the agency.

It added that the majority on board were from Egypt, Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea.

Egyptian officials said four crew members had been arrested. They are suspected of involuntary manslaughter and human trafficking.

The European Union's border agency has warned that large numbers of migrants hoping to make the journey to Europe are now using Egypt as a departure point.

More than 300,000 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean to Europe so far this year from various departure points, but particularly Egypt and Libya.

The figure is down from the 520,000 that made the journey in the first nine months of last year.

According to the UN, more than 10,000 people have died crossing the Mediterranean to Europe since 2014.