Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), July 18 (IANS) A ferry with over 250 passengers, including 31 children, Wednesday sank near Chumbe island off the coast of Tanzania in eastern Africa, Xinhua reported.

The ferry, belonging to a company called Seagull, was heading for Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania, from Dar es Salaam when it sank.

The vessel had six crew members. It had left Dar es Salaam at 12 noon for a four-hour-long trip to Unguja, Zanzibar's main island.

Xinhua said no death has been reported though many people are missing. Several passenger and cargo vessels were mobilised for a rescue operation.

A ferry accident in September last year near Unguja killed over 200 passengers.