Concern is mounting for up to 27 people missing at sea in Papua New Guinea’s Islands region.
Bad weather has hampered the search for the crew on at least two boats who were registered as missing on Saturday.
The incident involved several staff of the East New Britain Provincial Health Authority and their families and friends – totalling 27 people including 11 children.
They were reportedly voyaging on two boats from Pangpang Island in the Duke of York group to Kokopo, the capital of East New Britain, a journey of around 20 kilometres.
The East New Britain Provincial Disaster Committee said that on Saturday afternoon, the capsized vessels were reported, and a search was immediately initiated.
It said that on Saturday night, two survivors, who described as skippers, were reported to have gone ashore on the mainland at Baii Village, Kombiu, which is north of where their journey to Kokopo would have taken them.
Police reportedly retrieved the pair and took them to Kokopo Police Station, where they were kept and interviewed as part of the ongoing response.
The national broadcaster NBC reported on the update given by the chairman of East New Britain’s Disaster Committee, Levi Mano, before a concerned crowd in windy conditions in Kokopo.
He said a number of agencies have been involved in the search, including police, a helicopter courtesy of National Government through the National Disaster Office and Maritime Safety Authority, and numerous local sea vessels.
Eventually on Monday one of the boats was spotted far to the north drifting upturned with no apparent sign of people off the west coast of Namatanai, in neighbouring New Ireland Province.
Levi Mano said that rough seas and bad weather hampered both sea and air search efforts, causing a temporary pause to the search operation.
Gazelle MP Jelta Wong told RNZ Pacific the aerial search resumed Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Mano said authorities were doing what they could in tough conditions across a wide region.
He emphasised to the crowd that police were involved as the search operation required “all agencies” to be engaged.
The East New Britain government has urged all travellers to check weather and sea conditions before going out to sea, and to take precautions.
It said difficult weather has been compounded by particularly strong winds as a result of the ongoing El Niño weather patterns.
