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The Lomu family are still suffering, a year on from the Princess Ashika ferry tragedy - Source: ONE News -
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It's a year today since Tonga's ill-fated ferry, the Princess Ashika, sank, killing 74 people.
A commission of inquiry called the sinking scandalous and avoidable, and the Tongan government has been accused of buying an unseaworthy boat without proper checks.
It found that the sinking was a result of individual and systemic failure, and the deaths were preventable.
New Zealander John Jonesse and three others will be trialled in Supreme Court at Nuku'alofa on September 8. Jonesse is accused of manslaughter and the others of negligence over the sinking of the ferry Princess Ashika.
Talita Lomu was one of those who lost a relative on the ferry. She says the tragedy devastated the Lomu family.
"It's been a year, but this family is struggling with the loss of four of their loved ones," said Mele Lomu.
The tragedy prompted lawyer Richard Small to offer his services to families like the Lomus, to try to get them to New Zealand. He isn't charging them.
"It's very important for them to connect with family in New Zealand. Their family has suffered a great loss and being together is a way of kind of consolidating and reaffirming their family links," said Small.
Asinate Fatafehi is the first to be given a New Zealand visa.
"I came to New Zealand to get a job - my mother was the money earner for the family now she is dead. I have to help my family back in Tonga," she said.
Tonga mourning
Meanwhile family members of the victims back in Tonga, are marking the anniversary of the tragedy. Some are doing so privately, while others gathered for a public memorial service at Tongatapu Faua wharf in Nuku'alofa.
The Tongan service was organised by Tonga-based Japan International Co-operation Agency. Their volunteer worker Hiroshi Umeda died in the sinking.
A 50-strong crowd of relatives of others who died, arrived to mourn also.
Among them were Paulo and Sonia Puleheloto and their 8-year-old son, who travelled from Auckland to pay their respects to Sisiliah Puleheloto.
"She was like a daughter to us, like a sister to Paulo," Mrs Puleheloto said. "We spent most of the day down by the wharf where she left from on the boat."
The family wore T-shirts emblazoned with Sisiliah's face and carried a photo of the 24-year-old.
Tongan government officials and the Japanese embassy read prayers and messages from people overseas.
Many families around Tonga are also holding private ceremonies.
"Marking the one year is huge, but the country was mourning for a long time after it happened," Tevito Havea of Tonga's Wesleyan church said.
"All the families mark the one year, but those celebrations are in private events, then we will do the public service on Sunday."
Sunday's memorial will take place at the beachfront Vakataumai Cemetery, where a plaque will be erected this week.
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