Vanuatu reports one dead and more than 30 missing after ferry sinking
Vanuatu’s government said one person had died and more than 30 remained missing on September 13 after the MV Matui sank during a voyage between Santo and Ambae.
In short
- Vanuatu’s government said one person had died and more than 30 remained missing on September 13 after the MV Matui sank during a voyage between Santo and Ambae.
Vanuatu’s government said on September 13, 2026, that one person had died and more than 30 remained missing after the inter-island ferry MV Matui sank, with rescue teams continuing to search for survivors.
The vessel departed Santo for Ambae on September 11 in rough seas and failed to arrive, according to The Guardian’s report. Prime Minister Jotham Napat’s office said 15 people had been accounted for alive and one body recovered. The missing-person figure remained provisional as the search continued.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in New Caledonia was assisting the operation, and a French military aircraft was deployed on the morning of September 13. The centre reported locating 12 people that morning; the available account did not establish how that figure overlapped with the government’s survivor total.
An investigation into possible negligence was also under way. The prime minister’s office raised concerns about marine warnings and possible overloading, but these were preliminary concerns rather than established findings about the cause of the sinking.
The immediate priority remained locating the missing passengers and crew. The government expressed support for survivors and bereaved families while rescue operations continued.
