Authorities are continuing their search for more than 30 people still missing after a passenger ferry is believed to have sunk off the coast of Vanuatu. The incident, which occurred Friday, has resulted in at least two confirmed fatalities.
As of Tuesday, no additional bodies or survivors had been recovered from the sea or coastline where the MV Matui is thought to have gone down, according to local news outlet VBTC. Rescuers had found two bodies and 14 survivors over the weekend, citing police reports. Vanuatu Police Assistant Commissioner David Bongranlie stated on Tuesday that the total number of people on board was 53.
The circumstances surrounding the sinking remain unclear, including the exact time it occurred. Vanuatu police were not informed of the vessel's disappearance until approximately 22 hours after it was believed to have sunk, VBTC reported Bongranlie as saying.
Further complicating the situation, the vessel was reportedly not approved to carry more than 30 people and departed on Friday without the knowledge of the country's Maritime Safety Authority, according to a statement from an agency spokesperson cited by Vanuatu's Daily Post. The newspaper also reported that the company that owned the vessel had its registration de-registered from Vanuatu's business register in June.
Tui Shipping, the boat's owner, issued a statement expressing sympathy for those affected and acknowledging its responsibility for passenger safety, but did not provide specific details about the sinking. The company provided the statement to VBTC on Tuesday.
Vanuatu's Prime Minister Jotham Napat announced Tuesday that he would cancel a planned trip to the United Nations General Assembly in New York to address the disaster. In a statement, Napat acknowledged that "a lot of valid questions are being asked publicly that demand answers and solutions." He added, "The Government acknowledges that this situation could have been minimized or avoided had all responsible authorities been alert and up to the task."
Earlier, on Sunday, Napat suggested that the sinking may have been caused by "negligence including overloading of the vessel," as well as a failure to heed marine warnings. The country's meteorological service had issued an alert for strong winds and high seas on the day the ferry sailed.
While Napat has referred to the event as a "tragedy" and an "incident," he has not used the word "sinking," though local news outlets, citing police, have reported it as such.
On Sunday, the maritime search and rescue agency from the neighboring island nation of New Caledonia reported it was coordinating an air and sea search for bodies and survivors, stating that 37 people were still missing at that time.
Vanuatu is an archipelago comprised of 83 islands located in the South Pacific Ocean, approximately 1,750 kilometers (1,090 miles) east of northern Australia.