Police investigators in the NCD- Central command are investigation the boat accident that occurred over the weekend just outside the city of Port Moresby that claimed the lives of four (4) people. 

According to police, the 4 individuals including a woman died in a boat accident that occurred in the waters between Gereka and Lion Island on Saturday. Several others were fortunately rescued.

The acting Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Benjamin Turi, confirmed that his officers in the Criminal Investigation Division are investigating the incident.

"I had assigned the Criminal Investigation Division officers to investigate the boat owners and those who organized the event to see if they had taken into consideration the safety of the people they invited when traveling out to sea. It was an unfortunate situation, and I want the relatives of those who are victims to assist the police with the investigation and not blame the Gereka locals or do anything that is not right. The party was organized, and those who were part of it are related to each other in one way or another. We must not blame innocent people,” stated ACP Turi.

“The boat operator must surrender himself to the police. He must not hide from the police because many people have lost their lives, and the others are also victims of this boat tragedy. I want him to surrender to the police and provide his statement on what happened.”

ACP Turi also strongly advised the collaboration of the National Maritime Safety Authority (NMSA) to ensure that those who were involved in any way in the incident are held accountable for their actions. He said the investigation team will look at the status of each individual who was on the boat and how many passengers were on the boat when the incident happened.

Meanwhile, in light of this boat tragedy, Turi stressed that boat safety must always be priority.

"Overloading and boat operators operating the boat under the influence of alcohol might be some of the causes of the deaths, but we will wait for the investigation team to update us when they complete their investigation. Otherwise, the public is asked to always take care and be safety conscious when traveling on boats.”

He said the function was attended by Remington Technology employees, most of whom reside in the Gereka area.