Overview
- The MV Matui sank while crossing between Santo and Ambae with 34 passengers and 11 crew on board after encountering severe weather on Friday, according to authorities.
- Prime Minister Jotham Napat’s office says one person has been confirmed dead, 15 people have been accounted for alive and more than 30 remain missing.
- Officials said the open‑water search is being eased off and efforts are being redirected to the south‑east coast where currents may have carried survivors; aircraft, local boats and private vessels have been used in the operation.
- Luganville MP Matai Seremaiah and others say there was a more than 30‑hour delay before local boat searches began and that confusion over coordinates hampered early rescue work.
- The government has launched an investigation into why the ferry sailed despite strong marine wind warnings and is probing possible negligence including overloading while relying heavily on local crews and ad hoc help to make up for limited formal search‑and‑rescue capacity.