Over 100 feared dead in ferry accident

PORT MORESBYm, Papua New Guinea - More than 100 missing passengers were feared to have been trapped inside an overloaded ferry when it sank off the east coast of Papua New Guinea (PNG), an official said on Friday, as rescuers scoured the seas for more survivors.

So far, 246 people have been plucked to safety in a joint rescue operation conducted by PNG and neighboring Australia after the MV Rabaul Queen sank on Thursday morning, but scores more are unaccounted for.

The passengers were PNG locals, many of them students studying in Lae, the ship's final destination and home to a large university.

"Updated reports from the five rescue vessels indicate there were approximately 246 survivors recovered on Thursday," Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said.

"PNG officials are processing the survivors on arrival in Lae."

AMSA, which estimated that the doomed ship went down about 9 km off the coast, said three merchant vessels remained on the scene searching, assisted by two Australian planes and two local helicopters.

But rescue coordinator Captain Nurur Rahman said conditions were tough.

"The winds have picked up and the seas are rough, making it very hard to see anything other than white-cap waves," he said, but added that the sea temperature was warm, "which makes the possible survival times longer".

Another rescue official, Rony Naigu from PNG's National Maritime Safety Authority, was quoted by Australian broadcaster ABC as saying about 100 people were thought to have been trapped inside when the ship went down.

A third maritime official said no new survivors were found on Friday.

A passenger, Philip Batari, had updated his Facebook page during the voyage, saying: "Having a rough time at sea on board Rabaul Queen", posting photos showing wild seas.

His last post read: "Bloody experiencing the worse moment of my life."

It is not clear what happened to him.

PNG's safety authority said that the incident was one of the worst sea accidents involving passengers, adding that "there is concern for the 100-plus passengers who are still unaccounted for".

It said it was impossible to say what caused the ship to sink, but identified "prevailing weather conditions, the age of the vessel and its capability of taking voyage in this kind of weather" as possible factors.

PNG-based Rabaul Shipping, the owner of the vessel, said it lost contact with the MV Rabaul Queen while it was traveling between Kimbe and Lae.

In a statement, it said there were 350 passengers and 12 crew onboard the Japanese-built vessel. Rahman said it was licensed to carry 310.

"We are stunned and utterly devastated by what has happened," Peter Sharp, managing director at Rabaul Shipping, said amid reports that the company's office in Kimbe was pelted with rocks by frustrated relatives of passengers.

Reuters