Vanuatu Ferry Disaster Leaves Dozens Missing

At least one person has died and more than 30 people remain missing after the MV Matui, an inter-island ferry, sank off northern Vanuatu. The vessel went down in bad weather on Friday while traveling between the islands of Ambae and Santo, according to a statement from the office of Prime Minister Jotham Napat and a report by New Zealand’s RNZ broadcaster. Fifteen people from among the crew and passengers have been confirmed alive. Search-and-rescue operations are continuing, although the Vanuatu government said efforts in open waters were being scaled back. Authorities are shifting their focus to the southeast coast, where ocean currents may have carried survivors. The prime minister’s office said the sinking appeared to have resulted from strong winds and marine warnings that may not have been heeded. It also raised the possibility of negligence, including overloading the ferry. Officials said a full investigation would be conducted to determine what happened and help prevent a similar disaster in the future. The Vanuatu police, the country’s Maritime Safety Authority and Tui Shipping Agency, which operated the ferry, had not immediately responded to Reuters’ requests for comment. The incident has prompted an ongoing emergency response in waters between the islands, with the final number of casualties still uncertain as search operations continue.

The inter-island ferry MV Matui sank in heavy seas on Friday while traveling from Santo Island to Ambae Island in Vanuatu, leaving at least one person dead and more than 30 missing. The vessel, operated by Tui Shipping Agency, was carrying over 40 passengers and crew and never reached its destination, which is about 96 kilometers east of Santo. By Sunday, authorities reported that one body had been recovered and 15 passengers had been accounted for alive, although the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Noumea later said 12 people had been located. Prime Minister Jotham Napat’s office assumed control of the search and rescue operation after Napat expressed frustration at difficulties reaching senior officials. Officials said the search in open water was being reduced while teams focused on Vanuatu’s southeast coast, where currents may have carried survivors. A French Armed Forces aircraft from New Caledonia and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center joined the effort, while survivors were reportedly treated at Northern Provincial Hospital on Santo. The initial response has generated considerable local anger. Accounts differ over how authorities were alerted, but one survivor reportedly swam ashore or was found on a beach on Saturday after spending many hours in the water. Local residents and businesses organized private cargo ships and an aircraft to search for survivors, saying the official response had not begun quickly enough. An investigation has been launched amid possible allegations of negligence by Tui Shipping Agency. The prime minister’s office said strong winds and marine warnings may not have been heeded and that the ferry may also have been overloaded. The disaster has prompted widespread grief in Vanuatu, a South Pacific nation of fewer than 350,000 people located about 1,750 kilometers east of Australia.

One person has died and more than 30 remain missing after the ferry MV Matui sank off Vanuatu in rough seas. The vessel departed Santo island for Ambae island on Friday carrying more than 40 passengers and crew but failed to arrive. According to Vanuatu’s government, 15 people have been accounted for alive and one body has been recovered, while over 30 people are still missing at sea. Prime Minister Jotham Napat’s office expressed condolences to the families of those who died or remain missing and said search-and-rescue operations were continuing. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in New Caledonia is supporting the response, and a French Armed Forces aircraft was deployed on Sunday morning. The centre reported that 12 people had been located that morning. Rescue teams are focusing on Vanuatu’s south-east coast, where currents may have carried survivors. The government has opened an investigation into possible negligence. Its preliminary statement said the sinking may have resulted from strong winds and marine warnings not being heeded, as well as possible negligence involving the overloading of the vessel. The incident has prompted a significant emergency response involving Vanuatu authorities, regional maritime coordinators and French military assistance. Officials have not yet provided a full account of the ferry’s condition, the precise circumstances of the sinking or the identities of those missing and deceased.

A ferry disaster off Vanuatu has left at least one person dead and more than 30 missing after the vessel sank in bad weather, according to the office of Prime Minister Jotham Napat. The MV Matui went down on Friday while traveling between the islands of Ambae and Santo. The ferry was carrying dozens of passengers and crew members. Fifteen people have been confirmed alive, the prime minister’s office said in a statement posted on Facebook. Search-and-rescue operations remained underway, with authorities looking for survivors in the waters surrounding Vanuatu, a Pacific island nation located approximately 1,750 kilometers east of Australia. New Zealand public broadcaster RNZ reported that the inter-island ferry sank during severe weather. Vanuatu authorities initially searched open waters but later began shifting operations toward the country’s southeastern coast, where ocean currents may have carried survivors. The change in strategy reflects the difficult and evolving conditions facing rescue teams. The prime minister’s office said the incident appeared to have been caused by strong winds and marine warnings that may not have been followed. It also raised the possibility of negligence, including overloading the vessel, although the circumstances had not been conclusively established in the report. Prime Minister Napat’s office expressed sympathy for the families of those who died or remained missing and offered support to survivors. The disaster has prompted an urgent search effort and raised concerns about maritime safety, weather warnings, vessel capacity and possible operational negligence.