The Director of the National Disaster Management Office has called on relevant authorities to make sure ships are sea worthy before they can operate in the country.
Loti Yates made this statement following the arrival in Honiara of the 49 survivors of the Solfish 001 which capsized in heavy seas en route to Temotu Province.Mr. Yates calls on those providing shipping services in the country to ensure that safety can be garunteed for the traveling public.
He also calls on the maritime authorities to ensure that ships comply with marine regulations before they are authorized to operate.
Mr. Yates says standard safety equipments would make it easy for the maritime authorities to quickly locate the position of such incidents, making rescue operations relatively easy.
Meanwhile, he praises the crew of the vessel for their outstanding action in making sure that no one died during the incident.