Vanuatu ferry tragedy: Search ends with 39 feared dead after delayed alert

A search for people missing after a passenger ferry sank in rough seas off Vanuatu has ended, with 39 people believed to have died, an official told The Associated Press on Friday. No more people have been pulled from the water since last weekend, when 14 survivors and two bodies were found.

The ferry, MV Matui, was travelling between the islands of Santo and Ambae with 53 people on board when it sank on September 11, Lloyd M. Fikiasi, deputy commissioner of Vanuatu's Maritime Safety Authority, said. Officials have also said the sinking was not reported for a full day, while the exact number of people on board remained unclear for several days. Prime Minister Jotham Napat has called for calm, promised an independent investigation and said a national memorial service will be held on September 27.

Fikiasi said some people who were earlier listed as missing were later found not to have travelled on the boat. While two bodies were recovered last weekend, the search at sea ended on Thursday with 37 still missing, taking the number believed dead to 39.

Local news outlets reported that the maritime authority this week filed criminal complaints with the police against the owners of Tui Shipping, the company's management and the ferry's master for alleged breaches of maritime law. Vanuatu's Daily Post reported that the vessel was not authorised to carry passengers and that company inspectors had warned about overloading of personnel and cargo a day before the sinking.

"This loss appears to be the result of strong winds and marine warnings not being heeded, and possibly of negligence including overloading of the vessel," Napat said on Sunday. The country's meteorological service had issued a marine warning for strong winds and high seas on the day the ferry sailed. On Friday, Napat visited survivors and bereaved families on Santo and Ambae. He had earlier said he cancelled a planned visit to the UN General Assembly in New York to deal with the disaster.

The search operation has now ended after days of uncertainty over the delayed reporting of the sinking and the number of people on board, with 14 survivors found, two bodies recovered and 39 people believed to have died. Authorities have begun legal action and the prime minister has promised an independent investigation.