Fears are growing for passengers on a ferry which is believed to have sunk in bad weather off Papua New Guinea with as many as 350 people on board.
Australian rescuers are at the scene, according to reports.
Star Ships said it lost contact with the MV Rabaul Queen while travelling between Kimbe and Lae in the east of the Pacific nation.
“Bad weather, I think (it is) believed to have sunk,” Star Ships spokesman John Whitney told AFP.
Radio New Zealand reported that the ferry broadcast a distress signal around 8:30am local time on Thursday.
