Vanuatu Holds First National Mourning for Over 40 Sea Victims

On Sunday, Vanuatu gathered for its first-ever national day of mourning, with a ceremony at Feiawa Park in Port Vila attended by Prime Minister Jotham Napat, cabinet members, tribal elders and relatives of the deceased. The observance honored more than 40 individuals lost in two recent boat disasters: the MV Matui capsizing between Espiritu Santo and Ambae, and a fatal voyage between Erromango and Tanna. Fourteen survivors were rescued from the Matui, while two deaths were confirmed and 30 people remain missing.

Parallel remembrance services were conducted in Torba and Penama provinces, underscoring national solidarity. In response, 13 Pentecost chiefs from Torba, Malampa, Shefa and Tafea provinces submitted a petition demanding urgent, lasting improvements to Vanuatu's maritime safety framework, citing chronic underfunding despite the country's large international shipping registry.