Author: TMC Palau

The Vanuatu ferry disaster has exposed a critical gap in how weather warnings are turned into action across the Pacific, according to the country’s top meteorologist.MV Matui, Vanuatu’s inter-island ferry sank in rough seas off the coast of Vanuatu over the weekend, leaving one person confirmed dead and more than 30 people missing.Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department (VMGD) director Levu Antfalo said his office could forecast dangerous conditions and warn the public, but it had no authority to stop vessels from putting to sea.His comments come as meteorological leaders from across the Pacific meet in Tonga for the 8th Pacific…

Papua New Guinea’s Police Commissioner David Manning is seeking the assistance of the public to locate four men suspected of stealing gold.The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary has released pictures of four men alleged to have stolen gold bullion, cash and firearms.Manning identified Allan Wai, Steven Siskii, Lawrence Sausau and Hans Nane as persons of interest.In the early hours of 2 September, 10 armed assailants held private security crews at gunpoint and proceeded to steal the items in Port Moresby.Manning has called for public assistance in locating the suspects who made off with 25 gold bars worth at least several…

An Australian pilot who helped locate survivors after a ferry disaster in Vanuatu says “it is a miracle anyone survived”. After the ferry MV Matui sank in rough seas on Friday morning, more than 30 people remain missing.The ferry departed from Santo at 6am on Friday for Ambae, approximately 96 kilometres away. However, it capsized in large waves. According to Luganville MP Matai Seremaiah, the vessel sank at about 9:30am.Tragically, confusion around the vessel’s status and misinformation meant that it was over 30 hours before help arrived. Reports suggest 15 people survived the sinking.Although the current confirmed death toll stands…

PNG is home to many rural and remote schools. Jiwaka is situated in the central highlands and is itself a relatively remote province. Jimi is the most remote of Jiwaka’s three districts. It is home to the Jimi Valley and is characterised by its mountains, rivers and valleys and by its heavy annual rainfall. Jimi Secondary School is one of eight and until recently the only boarding secondary school located in the Jimi district of Jiwaka Province. Classified by the Education Department as a level-9 school, it has the capacity to house 600 students, though the actual enrolment is around…

“Palau is my sanctuary” It has been 60 days since Xavi Pascual officially left Barça, after the coach paid his release clause before subsequently joining Dubai Basketball. After plenty of discussion and speculation in the first few days, silence eventually settled around both the Blaugrana organization and the coach from Gavà. Pascual has now broken that silence, while maintaining a conciliatory tone toward the club. Speaking to El Suplement on Catalunya Ràdio, Pascual avoided any controversy with the club he considers the organization of his life. “Palau is my sanctuary, it is my place. I will never be as happy…

A Vanuatu MP says it took more than 30 hours for a boat search to begin after an inter-island ferry sank in rough seas, saying more lives might have been saved if information about the incident had been provided sooner.The MV Matui was carrying 45 people when it sank between the islands of Santo and Ambae on Friday morning.Luganville MP Matai Seremaiah said the vessel left Santo at 6am (local time) and sank at about 9.30am.”What we now know is that the vessel capsized at 9.30am.”But Seremaiah said those on the ground did not begin their own search until about…

Vanuatu authorities have been searching for survivors after an inter-island ferry carrying 34 passengers and 11 crew members sank in critical weather conditions.Seven people have been rescued, with an estimated 38 people still unaccounted for, as boats and a flying doctor plane search for more survivors 24 hours after the vessel sank in the north of the country on Friday (local time).Police told national broadcaster VBCTC that MV Matui sank in rough seas on Friday while sailing between the islands of Ambae and Santo.Police said one survivor made it to shore on the island of Santo, where a diver took…

Reports from Bougainville say heavy machinery and vehicles belonging to a foreign mining company were destroyed in an arson attack at the Panguna mine site.Armed men are alleged to have entered the site in the autonomous Papua New Guinea region this morning, and set fire to heavy haul trucks and other equipment stationed near the large open pit mine.The machinery is understood to belong to Indian company Lloyds Metals and Energy Limited.Lloyds was selected by the Autonomous Bougainville Government as one of the developers involved in plans to assess the future rehabilitation and possible reopening of the copper and gold…

The Italian Coast Guard has launched an investigation after a scuba cylinder failed on board a RIB off the coast of the island of Procida in the Bay of Naples on 6 September, leaving a 60-year-old male diver badly injured. The incident occurred while the vessel was at sea off Punta Pizzaco, a headland and dive-site on Procida’s south-eastern tip. According to local authorities, the sudden failure of the tank generated a violent force that threw the victim, a resident of the province of Naples, into the water. The diver was recovered back onto the RIB and taken to Procida’s…

Firefighters responded to a fire at a LPG cylinder shop in Palau overnight. The alarm was raised around 11:30 PM in Via Capo d’Orso. Two fire engines responded , with staff working for several hours to get the better of the flames. The damage was extensive, although the intervention prevented the fire from spreading to surrounding buildings. No injuries were reported; the cause is under investigation. The Carabinieri were also on site. (Unioneonline/vl)© Riproduzione riservata Source link