Results for MV Princess Ashika

The first public hearing of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the sinking of the MV Princess Ashika on the night of August 5, got into a vibrant start this afternoon, when Mosese Fakatou, a former Marine Engineer with the Ministry of Ports and Authority showed slide photos of holes and heavy corroded sides and floor of the ferry.

Mr Justice Warwick Andrew has been temporarily relieved from his Supreme Court judge duties to take up his role as the Chairman of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the sinking of the MV Princess Ashika.

On August 25, 2009 a flotilla of vessels carrying about 500 mourners gathered in Ha'apai waters, around a point where four orange buoys floated in the water marking the last position of the MV Princess Ashika. They held a memorial and mass funeral ceremony at sea for the 74 people who were lost when the inter-island ferry sank on August 5. Part Three: Photos by Linny Folau on the MV Pulupaki and Pesi Fonua on the VOEA Pangai.

There were 128 persons on board the Princess Ashika when it left Nuku'alofa on its August 5 voyage, Operation Ashika confirmed on August 19. These have been established as: 54 rescued, 2 bodies recovered, 72 missing persons (68 passengers and 4 crew).

This kind of tragedy should never have happened, with all due respect to the Tongan Govt., they should really get to the bottom of who is responsible, and please Matangitonga, can you organise a campaigns for the people of Tonga demanding a full independent commission to call in all party involved and create transparency showing the world that this tragic incident of M/V Ashika where 90+ Tongans were dead, should have an answer to and closure, and have constructive suggestions on how to correct the system so that it would not repeat itself again in Tonga. - M. T. Tuaileva

When the coup occurred in Fiji in 1987 and my father lost his business and sold the Ashika to the Patterson Brothers Shipping in 1989 and we migrated to New Zealand and then to Australia and in the meantime lost my father on the way. The ship never lost its name and very sadly ended this way. - Concerned Aussie

Of the 96 people who left Nuku'alofa on board the MV Princess Ashika, yesterday, according to the Shipping Corporation of Polynesia Ltd. list released at around midday today, the known survivors include 27 crew and 23 passengers, at this early stage thought to be all male.

MV Princess Ashika, the replacement ferry for the inter-island passenger MV Olovaha arrived in Nuku'alofa on July 1 from Fiji and will be ready to set sail tomorrow, Friday, July 3.

An inter-island passenger ferry the MV Princess Ashika is due to arrive in Tonga from Fiji on Friday, June 12 to replace the old MV Olovaha. The Managing Director of the Shipping Corporation of Polynesia Ltd., John Jonesse, said the vessel that was built in Japan, had been operating in Fiji for some years and is in good condition