Hundreds are missing feared dead after the ferry ‘Rabaul Queen’ sank off Papua New Guinea today with 350 people on board.
The Australian authorities are helping with rescue efforts, according to CNN. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has reported receiving a distress signal from ‘Rabaul Queen’.
The boat is thought to have gone down about 16 kilometres off eastern Papua New Guinea while carrying passengers from Kimbe on New Britain Island to Lae.
An aircraft, six merchant vessels and three helicopters are currently scouring the area as part of rescue efforts, according to AMSA. The master of one of the vessels has reportedly stated that about 50 people have been rescued so far. The vessel’s operator Star Ships has indicated that bad weather may have caused the sinking.