Eight people, including six children, have died in Papua New Guinea after their boat capsized in rough seas in East New Britain province last Thursday.
The newspaper, The National, reports that the eight were part of a church group travelling to Lassul Baining to attend a youth convention.
The group was travelling aboard a 20-foot banana boat on a short journey to Lassul Bay from another provincial port when big waves filled the boat with water and caused it to sink.
The acting Gazelle district administrator Ekonia Walom, who indicated the boat was overcrowded, said the bodies of the eight were washed ashore.
He said police at Kerevat and provincial disaster officers conducted an assessment last Friday and are due to file a report.
