Tonga ferry sinks leaving 86 missing
Ferry Online Travel News 10/08/2009
At least 53 people on board the vessel were rescued after it capsized off the south Pacific island.
Two people were reportedly killed when the ferry sank, and 86 were still missing, according to a local search and rescue officer.
Slightly different numbers were reported by New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which said that 56 people had been rescued and that 82 people were on board.
Ross Henderson, a spokesman for the New Zealand National Rescue Coordination Centre, said the country provided air assistance for the rescue operation, but is recalling its search plane, meaning that ongoing efforts will be left to Tongan authorities.
The ferry, Princess Ashika, which had mostly Tongan nationals on board, went down at around 11:00pm local time on Thursday, according to the rescue centre. It added that the search was centred on an area around 86km north of Nuku'alofa.
The ferry was sailing on its route around the Ha'apai islands of northern Tonga, according to the ministry’s website.
In response to the ferry’s distress calls, vessels were at the scene within two hours, according to Keith Allen, speaking on behalf of the New Zealand rescue center. Survivors were found in life rafts and in the water. Although 13 rafts in all had been found, the spokesman noted that some were empty.
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