Ashika wreckage video attracts surging crowds [1]
Monday, November 16, 2009 - 15:02. Updated on Sunday, May 11, 2014 - 11:39.
Hundreds of people filled the Fa'onelua Convention Centre for the first public viewing of the MV Princess Ashika wreckage video at 4:30 pm on Friday, November 13, pushing through the doors to get seats while others sat on the floor, while many more waited outside the gates for a second screening.
After word got out that the full video would be shown to the Ashika Inquiry on Friday afternoon hundreds of would-be spectators started filling the road leading to the Fa'onelua Centre.
In the first viewing of the video at 4:30pm over 300 people filled the convention room. There were many more pushing to get through but were asked to wait outside in the hallway for the second viewing because the room was just too cramped with people.
Respect to deceased
The MV Princess Ashika wreckage video was captured on August 18, 2009 by a Remote Underwater Operating Vehicle. The video lasted about 90 minutes and showed the vessel sitting in an upright position on the Ha'apai seabed at a depth of 110 metres with the bow and stern ramp open. About 10 seconds of the video was deleted, out of respect to the deceased and their relatives, so that no human remains were shown.
Before the video showing began the Chairman of the Commission Hon Justice Warwick Andrew said in the interest of openness they had decided to show the film and they were aware it was a culturally sensitive matter but they had decided to do so, so that people could see that they were completely open and everything should be revealed to the public.
"The hearings of the Royal Commission are completely independent. We are not answerable to the government or anybody else," he said.
When the first video viewing finished at 6:00pm, a large crowd waiting outside the gate were getting impatient and when Police Commander Chris Kelley with a few of his officers started to let a few people in they got a surprise when people, mainly women, pushed through and surged past the gate making a run for the convention centre.
The police managed to hold them at the door and advised that they would view the video but it too was full inside. The second viewing finished at 8:00pm. A third viewing was then scheduled for Saturday but it was cancelled when no one showed up.