19 people rescued as search continues for passengers after Vanuatu ferry wreck

Nineteen people have been rescued after a passenger vessel went missing off Vanuatu as search teams continue looking for others feared to be missing at sea.

The rescue operation is being coordinated by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Nouméa, which said in a press release on Monday that 19 people had been rescued with search operations continuing off Espiritu Santo.

The MV Matui, a vessel about 15 metres long, is believed to have left Espiritu Santo for Ambae on Friday morning but never reached its destination. Thirty people are reportedly missing.

Vanuatu authorities alerted MRCC Nouméa on Saturday night after the vessel had been missing for more than 34 hours.

Seven people had been rescued by local rescue teams by Saturday evening. A further 12 people were rescued on Sunday morning.

A Vanuatu Police spokesperson told national broadcaster VBCTC that the MV Matui sank in rough seas on Friday while travelling between Ambae and Santo.

Watch Assistant Commissioner Police David Bongranlie's address on national television below.

The spokesperson said one survivor managed to reach shore on Santo where a diver helped take him to a local community for assistance.

In an earlier statement, Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat's office said 15 people had been accounted for alive and one person had died, with more than 30 still missing.

“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,” the statement said.

Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat has called for continued efforts to find those missing after the MV Matui sank off Vanuatu. Photo/DFAT

The government said an investigation would establish what happened. Search operations are continuing for others who may have been on board.

The vessel was believed to be carrying up to 33 people, although authorities are still working to confirm the exact number of passengers.

The search is being carried out in difficult conditions, with south-easterly winds of about 20 knots and rough to very rough seas reported in the area.

The French Armed Forces in New Caledonia has deployed a Falcon 200 ‘Gardian’ aircraft from Nouméa/Tontouta to help locate survivors.

The aircraft began its search at first light on Sunday, working alongside vessels already operating in the area.

MRCC Nouméa has also used a drift model produced by Météo-France to estimate where people or wreckage may have moved in the sea.

Watch a survivor being interviewed on YTS News below.

Search areas have been set based on the vessel's last known position and the weather and sea conditions.

A distress message is also being broadcast across the wider area through satellite systems.

The rescue operation follows a request for assistance from Vanuatu authorities, with MRCC Nouméa taking responsibility for coordinating the search.

It is working closely with the Vanuatu Maritime Safety Agency and local rescue teams.

Pacific weather leaders meeting in Tonga are calling for stronger, more sustainable early-warning systems so no community is left without life-saving weather information.

The meeting is also highlighting gaps in climate data and the need for Pacific countries to have the tools and funding to maintain warning systems over the long term.

Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department director Levu Antfalo speaks to media in Tonga during the 8th Pacific Meteorological Council Meeting. Photo/RNZ Pacific/Talaia Mika

For families in Vanuatu, the search remains focused on finding those who may still be missing and bringing them home safely.

“To the survivors, we pray for your strength and recovery. To the families of those missing and those we have lost, please know that the nation stands with you in this time of grief,” Napat's office said.

The operation also highlights the importance of regional cooperation when emergencies happen across the Pacific where large stretches of open ocean can make search and rescue difficult.

The French authorities say the operation remains active as aircraft and vessels continue to search the waters around Espiritu Santo.