Rescuers save 238 after Papua New Guinea ferry capsizes

Rescuers have plucked nearly 240 survivors from the sea off Papua New Guinea’s east coast after a ferry sank with as many as 350 people on board, officials said.

A plane from Australia, three helicopters and eight ships were scouring the search area after the MV Rabaul Queen went down around dawn while travelling from Kimbe on the island of New Britain to the coastal city of Lae on the main island, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said in a statement.