After severe weather hampered rescue and diving operations in the past week, divers have said they may have located the wreck lying 360 feet down.

The HMNZ Manawanui is carrying more equipment to help divers descend further and reach the wreck to make a positive identification.

Even if the wreck is that of the ferry, there is still doubt over whether divers will be able to recover any bodies because of technical issues and also the cost of the operation.

The inter-island ferry Princess Ashika, built more than 40 years ago, capsized at around midnight about 50 miles northwest of the capital Nuku'alofa from where it sailed.

Ships rescued 54 passengers, but 93 people are missing and presumed dead. Only two bodies have been recovered.

Rescue operations and work to locate of the wreck has been carried out by the Australian and New Zealand navies, including 16 Royal Australian Navy Clearance Divers, at the request of the Tongan government.

The monarchy-led Kingdom of Tonga is an archipelago of around 169 islands, 36 of them inhabited, stretching about 500 miles and lying about a third of the way from New Zealand to Hawaii. Local media have expressed concern and dismay that King George Tupou V left on an overseas trip within an hour after hearing of the tragedy.

The government has set up the Ashika Relief Fund with $285,000 to help families affected by the disaster, according to the newspaper Matangi. The Chinese Federation, Chinese Business Council and Chinese residents in Tonga made the first outside donation of $24,000, followed by $30,000 from the China Red Cross.

Public anger in Nuku'alofa, already heightened by allegations the government-owned ferry was not seaworthy, is likely to escalate, veteran MP Akilisi Pohiva told media last week.

"This is a man-made disaster and all the people of Tonga blame the government," he said.

"The people are angry, they are upset, but they are still waiting for the bodies. Between now and the next month, I have a strong feeling the people will do something, if the government fails or fails to try and recover the bodies."

HMNZ Manawanui battled heavy seas to arrive in Tonga on the weekend, according to a Radio New Zealand report. Manawanui commanding officer Lieutenant Commander Phil Rowe told RNZ that the relentless weather was the worst he's experienced in his 24-year navy career.

Winds of 50 knots and 16-foot waves battered the ship on its seven-day journey from Auckland. While its deck was awash with water for most of the journey, it is not thought to have suffered damage.

Because of the rough conditions, it will be at least Monday before the ship can sail to the site of the wreck, carrying navy divers already based in Tonga.

Once there, the ship will provide a stable platform for the deployment of a remotely operated vehicle that can provide photographic proof of whether the wreck on the ocean floor is that of the Princess Ashika.

The ship will stay at the site of the wreck for at least one night, but New Zealand military officials have stressed they do not have the capability to recover bodies.

Sonar pictures have confirmed a wreck lying on the ocean floor, and divers were able to follow a line down to 150 feet where they reported it continued into the darkness towards the seabed.

The location coincides with the emergency position-indicating radio beacon signal and the location of the ferry master's final radio call, according to an Australian Defense Department statement.

"The vessel is believed to be intact and upright at a depth of around 110 meters, beyond the safe diving depth of our clearance dive team."

Recovering the dead could cost more than $17 million, putting it beyond the Tongan government budget and exceeding New Zealand's annual aid to the kingdom, experts have told the New Zealand news Web site Dominion Post NZ.

Specialized equipment to retrieve the bodies could cost up to $500,000 a day, the military said.

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
A world of storm and tempest
When the Earth Quakes

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News