Over 100 passengers missing in ferry sinking disaster

EMERGENCY services rescued more than 230 survivors from the sea off Papua New Guinea’s east coast after a ferry sank this morning with as many as 350 people on board, officials said.

A plane from Australia, three helicopters and eight ships looking for other survivors from the MV Rabaul Queen.

The ferry sank while travelling from Kimbe on the island of New Britain to the coastal city of Lae on the main island, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard described it as a “major tragedy”.

Police in Kimbe said that most of the passengers were students and trainee teachers.

An official at the scene said the ferry capsized in rough seas and sank four hours later, local media said.

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said the cause of the accident was unknown, but acknowledged that safety in the shipping industry was lax. “We need to bring some safety measures back into this industry,” O’Neill

told reporters. He said more than 300 people were aboard the ship, although the precise

number had not been confirmed.

An Australian search and rescue airplane based in the northern city of

Cairns reached the scene by afternoon and two other Australian airplanes

were on their way. Australian Maritime Safety Authority spokeswoman Carly Lusk said the

crew of the first plane threw several life rafts to survivors in the

water. She said 238 survivors had been recovered by late in the day.

She said 350 people were believed to be on board the ferry, but Papua

New Guinea’s National Maritime Safety Authority said the figure was

likely lower.