A Solomons Islands ferry was travelling between the remote islands of Anuta and Vanikoro when its engine failed on Friday, about 100 nautical miles from its destination.
asserted
engine → travel → destination
Aircraft from Australia and New Caledonia have dropped supplies and equipment for the boat with more than 70 passengers onboard.
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Aircraft → drop → boat
A Panama-registered bulk carrier reached the ferry on Sunday morning and began transferring water and food.
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carrier → register → water
More than 70 passengers have been stranded aboard a drifting ferry in Solomon Islands waters since Friday, as an international operation scrambles to get supplies to the vessel.
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operation → strand → vessel
The ferry was sailing between the remote islands of Anuta and Vanikoro in Temotu Province when its engine failed on Friday, leaving it adrift at sea.
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engine → sail → sea
A Panama-registered bulk carrier reached MV Awka on Sunday morning and began transferring water and food, passenger John Tua said.
Mr Tua, a nurse with the provincial government, said the engine was overheating when it broke down about 100 nautical miles from its destination.
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it → register → destination
"Everyone is OK, no-one panicked, passengers were calm … we're just waiting for the rescue ships to come,"he said.
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ships → panic → ?
While the seas have been mostly calm, Mr Tua said the ship had also experienced rough swells.
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ship → say → swells
A distress call was issued on Friday, with the Solomon Islands enlisting help from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and New Caledonian government.
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Islands → issue → Authority
An AMSA spokesperson said its Cairns-based rescue jet made several drops of critical items including food, water, medical supplies and communications equipment.
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jet → say → food
A French aircraft from New Caledonia was first on the scene on Saturday, dropping life rafts and desalination equipment.
"The urgent need was water.
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need → drop → rafts
We've run out of water onboard …
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We → run → water
the ship's water supply was used to cool the engine down when it was heating up," Mr Tua said.
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Tua → use → engine
"We have lots of brown coconuts on board to drink, but our water is finished."
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water → have → board
On Sunday morning, the Panama-registered bulk carrier Sunnine 3 reached the vessel early and began transferring water and food, which was lifestreamed online by Mr Tua.
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which → register → Tua
Passengers have stayed in touch with families using the ship's Starlink internet, while Mr Tua has been the main source of news for worried relatives.
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Tua → stay → relatives
Temotu Premier Stanley Tehiahua said a police patrol boat was on its way from Honiara.
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boat → say → Honiara
"To all relatives, families and friends anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones, we recognise the emotional distress and uncertainty you are experiencing," he said in a statement.
"We call on everyone to remain calm, united and prayerful during this difficult time,"Mr Tehiahua said.
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Tehiahua → await → everyone
The ABC has requested comment from the Solomon Islands Maritime Safety Administration and the country's Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre.
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ABC → request → Administration
The incident comes three weeks after the inter-island ferry MV Matui sank in rough seas in neighbouring Vanuatu with more than 50 people onboard.
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ferry → come → Vanuatu
More than 30 people from the MV Matui are still missing.
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people → miss → Matui
There have been calls for Australia and New Zealand to invest more in maritime safety, including from Peter Nuttall, a sustainable researcher at the University of the South Pacific, who told the ABC after the Matui sinking that Australia could easily invest in better vessels for the Pacific.
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Australia → invest → Pacific
"We could have built 40 to 60 safe, brand new, low-carbon ferries for the same budget as we've spent on 20-something patrol boats, several which have already been scrapped," Dr Nuttall said.
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Nuttall → build → boats
The Aporia