The crash landing of an Air Niugini flight in Micronesia on Friday (local time) has become fatal after the discovery of a passenger's body.
Following the crash and rescue, the airline said it was believed all those onboard made it out alive, but the airline has now confirmed that's not the case.
The Papua New Guinea-based airline initially said all 47 passengers and crew on board had safely evacuated the Boeing 737 jet after it landed in a lagoon during heavy rain and reduced visibility.
A statement from Air Niugini's chairman at the weekend said they could not account for one male passenger, but believed the man was seen boarding a local dinghy that took him to shore.
However, on Monday night (local time), Air Niugini CEO Tahawar Durrani said the body of a passenger had been discovered by divers as they conducted a further search of the downed jet and the surrounding area in the lagoon.
"The circumstances surrounding this accident are now a matter for relevant authorities as they begin their task of investigating the events that led to the incident and the actions which followed," Durrani said.
Reuters/Newshub.
