SYDNEY, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Air Niugini have confirmed that an unaccounted passenger has been found dead in a Pacific lagoon, three days after Flight 73 crashed into the ocean during a stopover from Pohnpei in Micronesia to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea.
"It is with deep sadness I confirm that the body of a male passenger was discovered by divers today as they conducted a further search of P2-PXE and the surrounding area in the Chuuk Lagoon," Chief Executive Officer of the airline Tahawar Durrani said in a statement on Monday evening.
Although the identity and nationality of the man has not yet been made public, Durrani said an outreach team has been in touch with the man's family and are making arrangements to repatriate his body.
The airline initially thought that all 35 passenger and 12 crew members were able to make it back to land after being rescued by local fishing boats.
On Saturday, a detailed search of the plane by U.S. navy divers found that all those on board was able to escape from the downed Boeing 737-800, however it remains unclear as to what happened to the man after he emerged from the aircraft.
"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.
"We are committing all required resources to ascertain the factors that led to this accident."
"We express our deepest sympathy to his family... and will continue to provide support to his family in this time of loss."
Meanwhile, four other passengers will soon to be taken to a hospital in Guam for further treatment.
They remain in a stable condition.
