A search is ongoing in the waters off Vanuatu for more than 30 people missing after a passenger ferry sank on Friday. The vessel, MV Matui, was traveling between the islands of Ambae and Santo with 47 people on board when it went down.
Searchers rescued 15 survivors over the weekend, according to a statement released Sunday by the prime minister’s office. One body was recovered, while the remaining passengers were unaccounted for. The search efforts are now concentrating on a coastline where currents may have carried survivors, shifting focus from open water.
Officials indicated that strong winds and marine warnings may have been disregarded, contributing to the sinking. The statement also suggested potential negligence, including overloading of the vessel. Vanuatu's meteorological service had issued a warning for strong winds and high seas on the day the ferry departed.
Vanuatu is an archipelago of 83 islands located in the South Pacific Ocean, approximately 1,750 kilometers (1,090 miles) east of northern Australia.