Tongan police say 73 people are unaccounted for after the
sinking of the ferry Princess Ashika - 20 fewer than
previously thought.
The 36-year-old vessel sank around midnight on August 5, 86km
northeast of the island's capital of Nuku'alofa.
Through checking shipping manifests and survivor statements,
police were able to confirm 73 people were still unaccounted
for, Tongan police commander Chris Kelley said in a
statement.
"As at 1030hrs this morning we can confidently say that the
number of persons reported on board the vessel now stands at
129.
"The reason for the decrease in numbers from 151 to 129 comes
after detailed checking, confirmation inquiries with
relatives, establishing correct identities with manifest
records and statements of survivors who remember people on
board."
Tongan police confirmed two dead with 54 survivors.
Of those unaccounted for, 67 were on the ferry when it sank,
Mr Kelley said.
"We are left with six unconfirmed persons, four of whom we
believe are foreign nationals whose identity we know but do
not have confirmation as having been sighted on board."
The 54 survivors were all men, with most of the women and
children sleeping in their cabins when the ship went down.
The body of British man Daniel McMillan would be transported
to New Zealand on Thursday, Mr Kelley said.
Tomorrow, New Zealand navy ship HMNZS Manawanui would
return to Nuku'alofa, following a successful mini-submarine
mission today to formally identify the sunken vessel.
Police intend to release pictures taken by the submarine on
Thursday, after analysing the data collected.
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