Search For Victims Of Shipwreck Continues

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31654, 15 April 1968, Page 16

Search For Victims Of Shipwreck Continues

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, April 14. The search for victims of the Wahine disaster continued today but up till 4 p.m. no more had been found. So far, 48 bodies have been recovered and 44 of them identified. Police released the names of nine more dead at the week-end.

While the search by police and trampers continues round the harbour and approaches, a staff is working night and day at police headquarters trying to reconcile the Wahine’s passenger list with names given by survivors. By 4 p.m. today they had whittled down a list of about 60 names to 15. Chief Superintendent J. W Saunders told a press conference today the number of passengers listed as surviving now total 632, compared with the passenger list of 605. There was still thought to be duplication in the list of survivors, he said. Of the 122 crew, 116 survived, five died and and one was still missing, he said. The 61 police and 84 trampers who searched today were aided by the police launch Lady Elizabeth and the Naval Reserve launch Munga Mr Saunders said there had been no reports of people taking articles washed up on the beaches.

The police today thanked all those who helped them in the Wahine disaster.