Aussies' remains flown to Port Moresby

The remains of six victims of the Papua New Guinea plane crash have been flown to
Port Moresby, where the process of identification will formally begin.
But it could still be some time before the nine Australians who died on their way to
the iconic Kokoda Track make their final journey home.

The Australians were part of a group of 13 who died when their Twin Otter charter
flight went down in dense jungle in the Owen Stanley ranges on Tuesday in PNG's
worst air crash.
Joseph Kintau, head of PNG's Civil Aviation Authority, told AAP the remains of six
crash victims had so far been recovered and returned to Port Moresby.
"Six bodies have been retrieved and flown to Port Moresby," he said.
"The weather is pretty bad but work is still going on. We've still got a lot of
bodies (to recover)."
The federal government acknowledged the frustration of the families involved but
warned official procedures after such an accident could take time.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd sympathised with their plight.
"We understand fully the frustration of families. This is taking a long time," he
told ABC Radio.
Mr Rudd said a second recovery team was winched into the crash site area on Friday
morning to help expedite the recovery process.
"It does take time, but we are exerting every possible effort to get this done in as
quickly and as dignified a manner as possible," Mr Rudd said.
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said the formal identification process would take
place in Port Moresby.
Investigations into the crash are continuing.
Mr Kintau said PNG's aircraft accident investigation commission was being helped by
officers from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
He could not say when officials may have their first findings from the investigation.
Authorities are also confident there are no trekkers stranded on the Kokoda trail
after Airlines of Papua New Guinea, which operated the fatal flight, suspended its
services on the route.
Canberra has deployed Australian diplomatic staff to Kokoda village to help anyone
finding it difficult to get out but the Kokoda Track Authority is confident no one
is stranded.
"The Kokoda Track Authority confirms there are no registered trekkers in Kokoda at
present," chief executive Rod Hillman said in a statement.
"This has been confirmed by an on-ground assessment by the Australian High Commission."
Mr Hillman said despite Airlines PNG suspending its flights, three other airlines
were still operating.
Trekkers could also travel to the township of Popondetta and then fly to Port Moresby.
Airlines PNG has also rejected media reports there were 14 people on the doomed
flight, not 13.
They attributed the mistake to a possible duplicate booking on the reservations
system for the flight.