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Tonga ferry Princess Ashika underwater - Source: Royal New Zealand Navy -
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Water poured through the cargo hold of the Tongan ferry Princess Ashika for two hours before it rocked violently and sank late on August 5, a surviving passenger says.
Tangimana Lemoto, the first survivor to testify at the commission of inquiry into the tragedy, gave damning evidence of the perilous state of the doomed ferry, Matangi Tonga reported.
Lemoto, 25, who was travelling with his brother and friends, said that when he boarded the ferry he noticed severe corrosion on the side of the vessel and at the front near where the anchor was.
He told the hearing that during the sailing he looked down from the observation deck and saw sea water coming through the bow ramp on both sides, and from underneath, hitting the cargo deck.
The force of the water dislodged timber runners holding vehicles in place, he said.
He watched the water "blowing in through holes" for about two hours and thought it must be normal for the Ashika.
He said he did not see any crew bailing water out.
The ferry then started rocking from side to side.
A bout an hour before the ferry sank, crew became concerned about the amount of water coming in.
Lemoto said he "felt strange" and went and stood on the steps looking down into the cargo deck and saw that a four-wheel-drive Pajero was completely engulfed in water and that it, and an ambulance, were moving towards the bow ramp.
The ferry tilted seriously 20 minutes before sinking.
Lemoto told the hearing there was no loudspeaker warning to passengers, no safety or emergency information given, and no directions given to where the life rafts were kept.
He did, however, hear the captain calling for Mayday help immediately before the ferry sank.
Lemoto jumped into the sea and was later rescued with his brother Mesui from a life raft.
Seventy-four passengers died.
The inquiry is expected to call on more survivors as witnesses this week.
