Strong wind forces search to be stopped

The search for five missing public servants and their family members was suspended at 4pm today due to strong winds and rough sea conditions.

Chairman of the Provincial Disaster Committee, Levi Mano, said sea searches had already been suspended yesterday, while the aerial search that began this morning was also called off because of the weather.

Mr Mano said the aerial search team located one of the two missing boats off the coast of Messi, a coastal village in Namatanai, Central New Ireland. However, there was no sign of the passengers.