Apenisa Waqairadovu 
The Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji is continuing to closely monitor and respond to the grounding of the passenger vessel MV Fiji Princess near Monuriki Island in the Malolo Group.
MSAF says officers visited the site on Saturday to assess the vessel, assist in the safe transfer of passengers and crew, and evaluate any potential environmental risks.
At the time of the incident, 30 passengers and 31 crew were onboard. All passengers and 17 crew members have since been safely transferred to Port Denarau, while remaining essential crew initially stayed onboard to assist with response efforts.
Initial inspections confirm the vessel sustained significant damage to its rear left section, including the steering area, as well as damage to its underside. The vessel also experienced engine failure and was reported to be taking in water.
MSAF says the vessel is carrying about 20,000 litres of diesel fuel, but no damage to fuel tanks has been detected so far. Oil spill response equipment was deployed as a precaution but could not be used immediately due to rough sea conditions.
The authority says the priority now is to safely remove fuel and oil from the vessel to prevent any marine pollution. A salvage specialist from Australia is assisting with the operation.
For safety reasons, no personnel are remaining onboard overnight, with crew accommodated on the vessel’s sister ship, Cougar.
MSAF says it will continue working with the vessel operator and response teams as recovery efforts continue.
