MELBOURNE, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Eight people have been found dead and 19 others remain missing six days after two boats capsized while traveling between islands in northeastern Papua New Guinea (PNG) on Saturday.
Local television network TVWan reported on Friday that five bodies were recovered on Thursday night by authorities conducting an ongoing search and rescue mission for 27 people who were on board two boats that capsized on Saturday.
This brings the total number of bodies recovered to eight.
The two boats capsized while transporting staff from the health authority in the East New Britain (ENB) province and their families from an island to the ENB capital of Kokopo, triggering a major search operation by sea and air that has been hampered by rough seas and bad weather.
The first three bodies were recovered on Tuesday and Wednesday, including those of a woman and her 18-year-old daughter.
ENB Governor Michael Marum told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Tuesday that the incident was one of the province's worst marine disasters. ■