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By ELIZABETH VUVU
SEVEN people are allegedly missing at sea while a body of a woman was
found floating yesterday morning in the dinghy they were alleged to have
been travelling in on Namatanai waters in the New Ireland province.
According to reliable sources in Namatanai, the boat mv Palex, had left
Kokopo in East New Britain last Wednesday at 1pm and destined for
Namatanai but never arrived.
The boat allegedly with seven men and one woman, went missing between
Ratubu and Namatanai while the matter was only reported to authorities
in New Ireland last Friday.
Reportedly a search team from Kavieng is still yet to be dispatched to
Namatanai to help in the search despite orders given last Friday by New
Ireland provincial administrator Robinson Sirambat, who is also the
provincial chairman for disaster.
The National spoke to a representative of Burasera Trading, a business
house in Namatanai, who confirmed that their manager had also been a
passenger on the boat and there had been no sign of him since last
Wednesday.
Last Saturday, relatives of the missing people who were anxious to know
of their whereabouts approached another business house Brent Bino
Trading Company Ltd, to use their telephone to put out a public notice
on Radio East New Britain.
Last Sunday, a boat that was traveling to Kokopo from Namatanai spotted
the stricken boat floating at sea but did not have enough fuel to turn
around to get a closer look.
Yesterday morning the boat was pulled in by another dinghy in which the
body of the woman, believed to be a teacher who was also the owner of mv
Palex, was discovered in the boat.
Namatanai police station commander and the district administrator were
believed to be organising a party yesterday to search for the missing
seven.
 
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