More than 30 people are missing after a passenger ferry sank off the coast of Vanuatu in the South Pacific.
Sea-news.az reports citing the Reuters news agency and the office of Prime Minister Jotham Napat, that the vessel was carrying over 40 passengers and crew members when the disaster struck.
According to official data, one fatality has been confirmed, while 15 survivors have been successfully rescued. Search and rescue teams are actively continuing operations in the area to locate the remaining missing individuals.
Preliminary findings from the Prime Minister’s office indicate that the maritime accident may have been caused by safety violations by the ship’s crew. Reports suggest that operators ignored severe storm warnings and allowed the vessel to become dangerously overloaded.
