Papua New Guinea boat tragedy: villagers hold vigils as victims wash ashore
Twenty-seven people, including families with young children, went missing after two boats capsized in rough seas off Papua New Guinea's north-east coast on Saturday. Bodies of victims have since washed ashore, and local villagers have been holding vigils, including for those whose identities remain unknown.
Two boats capsized in rough seas off Papua New Guinea's north-east coast on Saturday, leaving twenty-seven people missing. Among those unaccounted for are entire families, including young children who had been travelling on the vessels when the weather turned.
In the days since the capsizing, bodies of victims have washed ashore along the coastline, according to local accounts. Some of those recovered have yet to be identified, complicating efforts by communities to confirm exactly how many of the twenty-seven are among the dead.
Villagers in the affected coastal communities have been holding vigils for the victims, including one held for an unidentified stranger whose body came ashore with no name attached. The vigils reflect the scale of loss in a region where fishing and inter-island travel by small boat remain common despite the seasonal risk of rough seas. Authorities have not yet released a confirmed final death toll.
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