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The Kiribati community in Fiji has expressed shock and sadness at the loss of 18 people who perished at sea after their boat capsized last week.
The boat reportedly capsized while ferrying passengers from the main island of Tarawa to outlying Maiana island.
A family member of a rescued survivor Jason Tarebu told FijiLive the Kiribati community in Fiji was in still in deep shock after news of the incident was related to them.
“I was scared, my cousin and his wife were traveling on the ferry. My family members were constantly in prayer hoping that they would be saved.
“We are a small island nation and with limited resources people are forced to take small boats to travel between islands,” Tarebu said.
Yesterday, the Royal New Zealand Air Force withdrew from a weeklong search for the missing 18.
According to Radio New Zealand, a NZ plane has been assisting in the search since the boat went down last Monday.
Twenty survivors were picked up and seven bodies recovered, said Neville Blakemore from New Zealand's Rescue Co-ordination Centre.
The ferry, a 17m double-hulled canoe, capsized when the captain tried to recover a crewman lost overboard in high waves.
