The Maritime Authority of Fiji (MSAF) is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the grounding of the passenger vessel Lomaiviti Princess II in the Maloi Passage on Ovalau’s west coast. The incident occurred yesterday while the vessel was transporting over 40 passengers, crew members, and five vehicles from Natovi Jetty to Levuka.
MSAF’s chief executive officer, Joweli Cawaki, reported being notified of the grounding shortly after it happened at approximately 9:20 AM. Fortunately, another vessel, Saint Mary, was nearby and assisted with towing and transporting the passengers safely to Levuka.
According to Captain Aca James Small, manager of Goundar Shipping Services, the Lomaiviti Princess II was following its regular route when it collided with the reef. “We are investigating the cause of the incident since this is a daily route; there may have been some negligence from the crew, who believed they were familiar with it,” he stated. Thankfully, no passengers sustained any injuries.
Captain Small mentioned that the vessel would need to wait for high tide for salvage operations to commence, and as a precautionary measure, Goundar Shipping Limited has suspended all scheduled trips to Levuka until further notice.