China has condemned last week's attack on its consulate in Mandalay, urging Myanmar authorities to make every effort to arrest the perpetrators, a spokesperson of its foreign ministry said on Monday.

China said Monday it had lodged a protest with Myanmar authorities after Beijing's consulate in the city of Mandalay was attacked with an explosive device.

The cause of the accident was unclear, but the villager said the boat, which normally carries a maximum of 30-40 passengers, was overcrowded with people and commodities, and there were strong currents in the sea.

Eight people are confirmed dead and almost 20 are missing after a boat whose passengers included villagers fleeing from fighting in Myanmar capsized in the Andaman Sea