A ferry that sunk in Tonga this year was operating illegally in open waters in Fiji before it was sold, a Tongan royal commission of inquiry has heard.
According to the New Zealand Herald, the inquiry has heard that the MV Princess Ashika should not have been allowed in open waters.
At yesterday's sitting in Nuku'alofa, it said, evidence in the form of marine surveys carried out by the Fiji Islands Safety Administration showed that the 37-year-old ship had been classed as a "smooth-water" vessel since 1984.
Apparently, Princess Ashika was legally allowed to travel only between the Buresala and Natovi jetties at a reduced speed and could sail only with "reduced cargo".
But this had not been the case in Fiji. The ferry traveled the open sea almost daily, and filled to capacity with passengers and cargo during peak periods, while servicing the islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.
Over 100 people died when the ferry sunk while traveling from the capital of Tonga, Nuku’alofa, to Ha’afeva on August 5. Several women and children were on the ferry at the time.
The Princess Ashika was ordered from Fiji to be a stop-gap measure until a new boat was to replace it in 2011.
Shipping Corporation of Polynesia Ltd had stated less than two months before the disaster that the ship was in "good" condition.
However, in the initial hearing of the Royal Commission of Inquiry, evidence showed holes and heavy corrosion in the sides and floor of the vessel.
