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Papua New Guinea: Many rescued after ferry sinks | |
(40 minutes later) | |
More than 200 people have been rescued from the sea off Papua New Guinea (PNG)'s north coast after a ferry sank with up to 350 on board, officials say. | |
Captain Nurur Rahman, from PNG's National Maritime Safety Authority (NMSA), told the BBC most people had been rescued from the water. | |
Efforts were continuing to pick up as many as possible before sunset, he said. | |
Australia PM Julia Gillard earlier said the incident was a "major tragedy". | |
Ms Gillard said the authorities were urgently trying to find out if any Australians were on board. | |
PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said the cause had yet to be confirmed, and he sent his sympathies to the families of those involved. | |
The MV Rabaul Queen, operated by PNG company Star Ships, was travelling between the towns of Kimbe and Lae. | The MV Rabaul Queen, operated by PNG company Star Ships, was travelling between the towns of Kimbe and Lae. |
It sent out a distress signal in the early hours of Thursday. | It sent out a distress signal in the early hours of Thursday. |
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which is assisting the PNG authorities, has confirmed that the vessel sank approximately 16km (9.9 miles) off Finschhafen. | |
Eight ships and three helicopters are at the scene helping with the rescue. Three Australian fixed-wing aircraft have also been sent, says the BBC's Duncan Kennedy in Sydney. | |
Earlier, Capt Rahman told the BBC he had reports of people floating in life jackets where the boat sank. | |
A Star Ships spokesman told the AFP news agency that "bad weather" was believed to have sunk the ship. | A Star Ships spokesman told the AFP news agency that "bad weather" was believed to have sunk the ship. |
"[There are] survivors. At the moment rescuers from Australia are at the site. No fatalities have been reported yet," the spokesman said. | "[There are] survivors. At the moment rescuers from Australia are at the site. No fatalities have been reported yet," the spokesman said. |
Star Ships is one of PNG's biggest ship operators. | Star Ships is one of PNG's biggest ship operators. |
Are you affected by the events in this report? Contact BBC News with your comments and experiences using the form below. | Are you affected by the events in this report? Contact BBC News with your comments and experiences using the form below. |