A crowded double-decker passenger ferry has capsized in Burma after being slammed by huge waves, killing 34 people and leaving more than a dozen missing, officials said.

Rescuers pulled 167 survivors from the sea and brought them to safety after the Aung Tagun 3 went down near Myebon in Rakhine state late last night, said Burma Red Cross Disaster Management chief Maung Maung Khin. He said many of the survivors were sent back to their homes.

The ferry was carrying 216 passengers, and 34 people were confirmed dead, State television reported. Search and rescue teams were looking for those still missing.

The government-run ferry left from the coastal town of Kyaukphyu. It had traveled around 80 kilometres northward when it hit rough seas, the government said.

Boat accidents due to overcrowding and bad weather are common in Burma’s river deltas and coastal regions.