More than 100 missing after Papua New Guinea ferry sinks

(Reuters) – Scores of people were missing off Papua New Guinea today after a ferry carrying about 350 passengers sank, Australian rescue authorities said, with many feared dead.
Australia’s Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said 238 people had been plucked from the sea and from liferafts by 5.30 p.m. (0730 GMT), about 12 hours after the MV Rabaul Queen went down.
“This is obviously a major tragedy – 350 people on board a ship that has gone down,” Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard told reporters in Melbourne.
“It is likely a very high loss of life here.”
Eight merchant vessels nearby had been diverted to the scene, with helicopters and Australian fixed wing aircraft also sent to help with the rescue, AMSA said.
“We are getting more life rafts out into the water,” AMSA spokeswoman Carly Lusk said.
“There have been more reports of vessels sighting people in life rafts, so we’re hoping for the number (of survivors) to increase in the very near future.”
While earlier reports had said the weather was fair, AMSA said there were winds of 40 knots (75 kmh) and swells of about 5 metres (16 ft).
The 47 metre (155 ft) ship reportedly sank about 9 nautical miles (16 km) off Finschhafen on the South Pacific nation’s north coast. The ferry was on its way from Kimbe, a dive spot on the island of New Britain, to the mainland city of Lae.