&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "One dead, 30 missing after ferry carrying 40 passengers and crew sinks near Vanuatu")
At least one person died and 30 are missing after a ferry carrying 40 passengers and crew sank off the coast of Vanuatu, the South Pacific nation's government confirmed on Sunday (September 13). The vessel, identified as MV Matui, had left on Friday from the island of Santo to Ambae Island in very rough seas; however, the ship did not arrive.
Following the incident, Prime Minister Jotham Napat's office confirmed on Sunday the recovery of one dead body, while 15 of those onboard have been "accounted for alive". The incident came to light when a diver working at a hotel on Santo alerted officials after he saw a man floating in a life vest on Saturday.
The Hotel owner, Ashley Beveridge, stated that he figured out his employee was carrying a survivor from the missing boat. Officials received an alert of the incident after someone in the restaurant alerted them. "He looked like he had been in the bathtub for 25 hours; he was wrinkled up and white. He was cold," Beveridge said in a telephone interview.
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Survivor confirmed sinking of vessel
The survivor, Jeffson, confirmed that the boat sank on Friday morning. "There was no rescue started until this guy got washed up on our beach -- lucky he got washed up in an inhabited area," Beveridge added. "He had gone all day and all night in the water."
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"At the last count it is 18 recovered, and there are two or three dead so far," Beveridge said on Sunday. After authorities were informed, Cargo ship owners, including a local politician, a local doctor with a plane and a private medical assistance vessel started a search on Saturday afternoon.
According to local media, survivors are being transported to a hospital on Santo Island. Napat's office assumed control of the maritime search operation on Sunday afternoon, following the prime minister's earlier frustration at being unable to get through to senior officials.
In a statement issued Sunday, Napat's office said more than 30 people are still unaccounted for at sea, on top of one confirmed death and 15 survivors located alive. "Our hearts and prayers are with the families who have lost loved ones. Search and rescue operations are continuing," the statement read.
Authorities have opened an investigation into possible negligence. The statement noted that the loss appears to have resulted from strong winds and disregarded marine warnings, and potentially from negligence such as the vessel being overloaded.
