Australia assists in ferry rescue work

STORY: Australia on Thursday (February 2) provided assistance to Papua New Guinea after a ferry with around 350 people on board sank off Papua New Guinea's north coast on the same day.

Australian authorities said rescuers plucked more than 200 people from the sea off Papua New Guinea, leaving more than 100 missing and many feared dead.

"There has been a boat go down in PNG (Papua New Guinea) with, as we understand it, 350 people on board, so this is obviously a major tragedy, 350 people on board a ship that has gone down. We have been asked to provide assistance to PNG and we are providing assistance to PNG. We are also working urgently to ascertain whether or not there were any Australians on board, but given the likely very high loss of life here, I think when this news comes to the attention of Australians around the country, they will be thinking about the people of PNG as they respond to this tragedy," Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said.

Australia's Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said 219 people had been rescued after eight vessels and three helicopters were diverted to the scene where MV Rabaul Queen went down early on Thursday.

AMSA spokeswoman Carly Lusk however said a greater loss of life may have been avoided as sea conditions were good, with a 10 knot (18kmh) wind and a light swell.

She said the ferry's owners had reported 350 people on board the 47m (155 ft) coastal ship.

The ship reportedly sank about 9 nautical miles (16 km) off Finschhafen on the South Pacific nation's north coast, on its way from Kimbe on the island of New Britain to the mainland city of Lae, AMSA said.

The ship's owner, Rabaul Shipping, said it had no information what caused the accident, adding the vessel sank quickly and without sending a distress message.