Tongan ferry found

BY MICHAEL FIELD - STUFF.CO.NZ

New Zealand and Australian Navy searchers have located the wreck of sunken Tongan ferry Princess Ashika, but it is too deep for divers, Tongan Government officials say.

Poor weather in the area is also making it difficult to explore the wreck which lies in 110 metres of water.

At the press conference underway in Nuku'alofa, officials say that the wreck is too deep for navy divers who can only go down 60 metres.

The Tongan ferry sank a week ago with at least 149 people aboard.

Two bodies and 54 survivors have been found, while the 93 missing are presumed drowned. They include 33 women and 10 children who were sleeping on the lower indoor decks.

Yesterday a combined Tongan Navy, New Zealand Navy and Australian Navy operation located a rope floating near the surface which they believe could be attached to the wreck.

But an ADF statement says that while a number of reconnaissance missions aboard the Tongan patrol boat VOEA Pangai have been launched, weather conditions in the region remain difficult and are expected to cause some delay to dive operations in the coming days.

New Zealand Navy dive ship, HMNZS Manawanui is due on site later this week.

This will provide an increased search and diving capability to the operation.

Meanwhile, the Tongan Legislative Assembly has formed a select committee to begin examining legislation around a royal commission into the ship wreck.

Its members include King George Tupou V's younger brother, who was a former prime minister and who is known as "His Serene Highness" Prince Tu'ipelehake.

ROPE FOUND

New Zealand Navy has continued to search for the wreck in deep waters 85 kilometres north of Nuku'alofa.

Lieutenant Commander Andrew McMillan said a rope had been spotted in the water that could be connected to the sunken ferry.

"The rope was found in the vicinity of the oil slick that we've been looking at and the last known position of the locator beacon.

"It's attached to something on the bottom. I can't confirm what is on the bottom. There were two forklifts on board the vessel at the time. They could have got tangled in the rope and they could be sitting on the bottom."

The rope was of the type used by the Princess Ashika and was less than 500 metres from where the ship initially went down.

It is hoped the rope will show the location of the ferry, but even if it is found it could be too deep for divers to recover any bodies. Neither New Zearland or Australian Navy divers can dive below 60m.

NOT SEAWORTHY

A surveyor in charge of carrying out checks on the Tongan ferry Princess Ashika has said the craft was not seaworthy.

Mosese Fakatoa, who teaches at the Tongan Maritime School, told 3News the boat was not seaworthy and that he never had a chance to finish his report on it.

"Even without the survey, I can tell you that the ship was not in good condition," he said.

The ferry was missing marks which showed how low in the water a ship could ride, and not having them breached international maritime conventions.

"Every ship is supposed to have that mark painted on the side, so that they will know when the ship is overloaded or not," Mr Fakatoa said.

"Ashika did not have any, and I think that is a very serious offence.

"I think they (the government) knew about it, but they did nothing."

TRANSPORT MINISTER RESIGNS

Tongan Transport Minister Paul Karalus resigned from his post on Tuesday but says his resignation was necessary to allow an inquiry into the sinking of the Princess Ashika ferry to take place.

Mr Karalus, who is New Zealand-born, quit amid growing public anger in Nuku'alofa over the sinking.

Allegations over the sea-worthiness of the government-owned ship made by the ship's captain, Maka Tuputupu, and others, have been denied by Mr Karalus.

The ferry had been in Tonga for just six weeks.

The Tongan government has announced a royal commission of inquiry into the tragedy.

Yesterday, Mr Karalus refused to discuss the state of the ferry, which his ministry had bought, certified and operated. "Let's leave it to the commission and I have peace of mind over it," he said.

"We acted with all care and due diligence and I will leave it to the commission, I think for the general public and common good, it is wise that it goes to this."

Mr Karalus was appointed to the cabinet by King George Tupou V, who astonished his subjects when he left for an extended holiday the day after the sinking. Mr Karalus is also a member of the Privy Council. "Obviously as a privy councillor one cannot be subject to an inquiry," he said.

"Part of the inquiry will include an investigation of the ministry which I was minister of.

"This should be an open book and the public should see it as an open book done as expeditiously as possible."

Tonga Police Commander Chris Kelley said police were still trying to establish the exact number of people who were on the ferry and preparing for the recovery of bodies.

- with NZPA