Police will continue their search today for the 12-year-old girl who went missing in the Lau waters on Friday. The 12-year-old girl and 15 others left Tuvuca Island for Tavunuku Island on Friday morning and their boat capsized in the Tuvuca waters. Police say the villagers received a call in the afternoon about the incident, and on their way to Tavunuku Island, they rescued 12 people while three had died. Villagers and police officers from Vanuabalavu Police Station searched the Lau waters on Friday night, and the search continued on Saturday. The search was also conducted yesterday.
Meanwhile, Police are calling on all boat operators to comply with the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji safety standards after three boats capsized recently in our waters resulting in passengers losing their lives.
The safety standards in the Maritime (Commercial Boating) Regulations 2014 state that a commercial boating operator shall provide every passenger on board a commercial boat with a personal flotation device.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Operations, Livai Driu says the simple regulations that boat operators need to follow are not being followed and it has resulted in lives being lost.
ACP Driu says the three incidents from Baulevu, Yasawa and the Lau Waters recently should be a wake-up call for all small boat operators.
He adds they will conduct inspections with MSAF about these rules not being followed.
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