MORE than 30 people are missing after an inter-island ship sank between the Vanuatu Islands of Santo and Ambae on Friday.
Rescuers pulled 15 people to safety in an operation involving aircraft and ships.
Two bodies have been recovered and the official death toll from the MV Matui sinking remains at two.
The ferry departed from Santo at 6am on Friday in rough seas for the 96 kilometer voyage to for Ambae and sank about three and a half hours later.
Some wreckage has been seen on the surface including life jackets, rubber tubes, and water tanks.
Islanders described the weather as extremely rough and villagers were unable to respond to the emergency due to the conditions.
