A total of 240 bodies of the victims in the ferry accident in Zanzibar, the semi- autonomous republic of Tanzania, have so far been retrieved, said local TV Monday morning.

Meanwhile, a team of 12 South African experts arrived in Zanzibar in the early hour of Monday and they are expected to join the local forces today to start investigation with the wreckage and to retrieve more bodies of the victims, according to the Tanzania Broad Casting (TBC) TV.

The ill-fated ferry Spice Islander was travelling from Zanzibar to Pemba, the sister island when it capsized at Nungwi area. Over 55 hours later after the accident, hopes for more survivors are diminishing.

The ferry is designed with seating capacity of 610, but survivors said there could be much more onboard when the overloaded ship was heading for Pemba.

The Spice Islander had earlier left Dar es Salaam with 166 passengers, including 65 children, and 58 tons of cargo. More passengers and goods got on board in Zanzibar.

The government believed that overloading is the cause of accident, one of the worst in Tanzania's maritime history.