Fifty five people have been rescued and an unconfirmed number are still missing at sea in the sinking in Tonga of former Fiji-based inter island ferry, the MV Princess Ashika.
Once the flagship of Fiji shipping company Patterson Brothers Shipping Ltd, Princess Ashika sank in waters off Ha'apai yesterday.
Nearly 24 hours after the disaster, families in Tonga and abroad are trying to come to terms with their loss.
Tongan newspaper the Matangi Tonga says it is not clear exactly how many people were onboard. The official figures are 79 but other sources say there were up to 96 crew and passengers.
Chief Inspector Sokopeti To'ia, said their figures were based on the ship's manifesto, which listed 79 people on board.
"Realistically, we believe there were more passengers on board but we could not confirm at this stage how many they are," she said.
She said police had confirmed 28 crew were rescued along with 27 passengers. She said eight survivors got off at Ha'afeva, while the rest of the survivors were now in Pangai.
The police said that no deaths or bodies had been confirmed at this stage.
Ship captain Maka Tuputupu who was found drifting in a lifeboat with another man and is now in hospital suffering from shock.
Meanwhile, the families of those missing are preparing themselves for the worst. Nine of the missing have been named by their families and friends.
A Japanese senior volunteer Hiroshi Umeda, 70, a specialist marine electrical engineer employed by the company is among those missing.
The BBC reports that a British man is also feared dead and it is women and children who are feared dead.
LOCAL NEWS
55 survive Ashika sinking, others missing
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